THE  UNTAMED 


BY   MAX   BRAND 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY 


Publishers 


New  York 


Published  by  arrangement  with  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 


Made  in  the  United  States  of  Amerie? 


COPYRIGHT,  1919-  BT 
MAX  BRAND 

COPYRIGHT,  1920,  BY 
MAX  BRAND 


BY  MAX  BRAND 

The  Untamed  The  Night  Horseman   '    -JL.  . 

Trailin'!  The  Seventh  Man 


i 


Ubc  ftnfcfeerbocfeer  press.  IRcw  J[?orft 
Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


Wjfl  5141884 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

I. — PAN  OF  THE  DESERT    .    .    i 

II. — THE  PANTHER  ....    8 

III. — SILENT  SHOOTS  ...       25 

IV. — SOMETHING  YELLOW  ...       38 

V. — FOUR  IN  THE  AIR      ...      52 

VI. — LAUGHTER         ....       64 

VII. — THE  MUTE  MESSENGER     .         .       76 

VIII. —RED  WRITING   ....       83 

IX. — THE  PHANTOM  RIDER         .         .       93 

X. — THE  STRENGTH  OF  WOMEN         .     108 

XI. — SILENT  BLUFFS          .         .  117 

XII. — PARTNERS          .         .         .         .132 

XIII. — THE  LONE  RIDERS  ENTERTAIN   .     148 

XIV. — DELILAH 155 

XV.— THE  CROSS  ROADS    .         .         .168 

XVI. — THE  THREE  OF  us     .         .         .174 

XVII. — THE  PANTHER'S  PAW         .         .180 

XVIII.— CAIN 192 

XIX. — REAL  MEN        .         .         .  200 

XX. — ONE  TRAIL  ENDS       .         .         .     209 


iv  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI. — ONE  WAY  OUT  .          .         .     223 

XXII.— THE  WOMAN'S  WAY  .         .         .229 

XXIII.— HELL  STARTS     .         .         .         .238 

XXIV.— THE  RESCUE      .         .         .         .246 

XXV.— THE  LONG  RIDE         .         .         .252 

XXVI. — BLACK  BART  TURNS  NURSE        .     263 

XXVII. — NOBODY  LAUGHS         .         .         .     270 

XXVIII. — WHISTLING  DAN,  DESPERADO      .     278 

XXIX. — "WEREWOLF"     ....     290 

XXX. — "THE  MANHANDLING"       .         .     298 

XXXI. — "  LAUGH,  DAMN  IT  !"          .         .     308 

XXXII. — THOSE  WHO  SEE  IN  THE  DARK  .     325 

XXXIII. — THE  SONG  OF  THE  UNTAMED      .     333 

XXXIV.— THE  COWARD    .         .         .         .337 

XXXV.— CLOSE  IN!          .         .         .         .343 

XXXVI.— FEAR 353 

XXXVII.— DEATH 359 

XXXVIII.— THE  WILD  GEESE     .         .         .370 


THE  UNTAMED 


THE  UNTAMED 


CHAPTER  I 

PAN  OF  THE  DESERT 

EVEN  to  a  high-flying  bird  this  was  a  country 
to  be  passed  over  quickly.  It  was  burned  and 
brown,  littered  with  fragments  of  rock,  whether 
vast  or  small,  as  if  the  refuse  were  tossed  here 
after  the  making  of  the  world.  A  passing  shower 
drenched  the  bald  knobs  of  a  range  of  granite  hills 
and  the  slant  morning  sun  set  the  wet  rocks  aflame 
with  light.  In  a  short  time  the  hills  lost  their 
halo  and  resumed  their  brown.  The  moisture 
evaporated.  The  sun  rose  higher  and  looked 
sternly  across  the  desert  as  if  he  searched  for  any 
remaining  life  which  still  struggled  for  existence 
under  his  burning  course. 

And  he  found  life.  Hardy  cattle  moved  singly 
or  in  small  groups  and  browsed  on  the  withered 


2  The  Untamed 

bunch  grass.  Summer  scorched  them,  winter 
humped  their  backs  with  cold  and  arched  up  their 
bellies  with  famine,  but  they  were  a  breed  schooled 
through  generations  for  this  fight  against  nature. 
In  this  junk-shop  of  the  world,  rattlesnakes  were 
rulers  of  the  soil.  Overhead  the  buzzards,  omi 
nous  black  specks  pendant  against  the  white-hot 
sky,  ruled  the  air. 

It  seemed  impossible  that  human  beings  could 
live  in  this  rock-wilderness.  If  so,  they  must  be 
to  other  men  what  the  lean,  hardy  cattle  of  the 
hills  are  to  the  corn-fed  stabled  beeves  of  the  States. 

Over  the  shoulder  of  a  hill  came  a  whistling 
which  might  have  been  attributed  to  the  wind, 
had  not  this  day  been  deathly  calm.  It  was  fit 
music  for  such  a  scene,  for  it  seemed  neither  of 
heaven  nor  earth,  but  the  soul  of  the  great  god 
Pan  come  back  to  earth  to  charm  those  nameless 
rocks  with  his  wild,  sweet  piping.  It  changed 
to  harmonious  phrases  loosely  connected.  Such 
might  be  the  exultant  improvisations  of  a  master 
violinist. 

A  great  wolf,  or  a  dog  as  tall  and  rough  coated 
sa  a  wolf,  trotted  around  the  hillside.  He  paused 
with  one  foot  lifted  and  lolling,  crimson  tongue, 
as  he  scanned  the  distance  and  then  turned  to  look 
back  in  the  direction  from  which  he  had  come. 


Pan  of  the  Desert  3 

The  weird  music  changed  to  whistled  notes  as 
liquid  as  a  flute.  The  sound  drew  closer.  A  horse 
man  rode  out  on  the  shoulder  and  checked  his 
mount.  One  could  not  choose  him  at  first  glance 
as  a  type  of  those  who  fight  nature  in  a  region 
where  the  thermometer  moves  through  a  scale 
of  a  hundred  and  sixty  degrees  in  the  year  to  an 
accompaniment  of  cold-stabbing  winds  and  swel 
tering  suns.  A  thin,  handsome  face  with  large 
brown  eyes  and  black  hair,  a  body  tall  but  rather 
slenderly  made — he  might  have  been  a  descendant 
of  some  ancient  family  of  Norman  nobility;  but 
could  such  proud  gentry  be  found  riding  the  desert 
in  a  tall-crowned  sombrero  with  chaps  on  his  legs 
and  a  red  bandana  handkerchief  knotted  around 
his  throat?  That  first  glance  made  the  rider 
seem  strangely  out  of  place  in  such  surroundings. 
One  might  even  smile  at  the  contrast,  but  at  the 
second  glance  the  smile  would  fade,  and  at  the 
third,  it  would  be  replaced  with  a  stare  of  interest. 
It  was  impossible  to  tell  why  one  respected  this 
man,  but  after  a  time  there  grew  a  suspicion  of 
unknown  strength  in  this  lone  rider,  strength  like 
that  of  a  machine  which  is  stopped  but  only 
needs  a  spark  of  fire  to  plunge  it  into  irresistible 
action.  Strangely  enough,  the  youthful  figure 
seemed  in  tune  with  that  region  of  mighty  dis- 


4  The  Untamed 

tances,  with  that  white,  cruel  sun,  with  that  bird 
of  prey  hovering  high,  high  in  the  air. 

It  required  some  study  to  guess  at  these  quali 
ties  of  the  rider,  for  they  were  such  things  as  a 
child  feels  more  readily  than  a  grown  man;  but 
it  needed  no  expert  to  admire  the  horse  he  be 
strode.  It  was  a  statue  in  black  marble,  a  steed 
fit  for  a  Shah  of  Persia !  The  stallion  stood  barely 
fifteen  hands,  but  to  see  him  was  to  forget  his 
size.  His  flanks  shimmered  like  satin  in  the  sun. 
What  promise  of  power  in  the  smooth,  broad 
hips !  Only  an  Arab  poet  could  run  his  hand  over 
that  shoulder  and  then  speak  properly  of  the 
matchless  curve.  Only  an  Arab  could  appreciate 
legs  like  thin  and  carefully  drawn  steel  below  the 
knees;  or  that  flow  of  tail  and  windy  mane;  that 
generous  breast  with  promise  of  the  mighty  heart 
within;  that  arched  neck;  that  proud  head  with 
the  pricking  ears,  wide  forehead,  and  muzzle,  as 
the  Sheik  said,  which  might  drink  from  a  pint-pot. 

A  rustling  like  dried  leaves  came  from  among 
the  rocks  and  the  hair  rose  bristling  around  the 
neck  of  the  wolflike  dog.  With  outstretched 
head  he  approached  the  rocks,  sniffing,  then 
stopped  and  turned  shining  eyes  upon  his  master, 
who  nodded  and  swung  from  the  saddle.  It  was 
a  little  uncanny,  this  silent  interchange  of  glances 


Pan  of  the  Desert  5 

between  the  beast  and  the  man.  The  cause  of 
the  dog's  anxiety  was  a  long  rattler  which  now 
slid  out  from  beneath  a  boulder,  and  giving  its 
harsh  warning,  coiled,  ready  to  strike.  The  dog 
backed  away,  but  instead  of  growling  he  looked 
to  the  man. 

Cowboys  frequently  practise  with  their  revol 
vers  at  snakes,  but  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  this 
rider  was  that  he  carried  no  gun,  neither  six- 
shooter  nor  rifle.  He  drew  out  a  short  knife  which 
might  be  used  to.  skin  a  beef  or  carve  meat,  though 
certainly  no  human  being  had  ever  used  such  a 
weapon  against  a  five-foot  rattler.  He  stooped 
and  rested  both  hands  on  his  thighs.  His  feet 
were  not  two  paces  from  the  poised  head  of  the 
snake.  As  if  marvelling  at  this  temerity,  the 
big  rattler  tucked  back  his  head  and  sounded 
the  alarm  again.  In  response  the  cowboy  flashed 
his  knife  in  the  sun.  Instantly  the  snake  struck 
but  the  deadly  fangs  fell  a  few  inches  short  of  the 
riding  boots.  At  the  same  second  the  man  moved. 
No  eye  could  follow  the  leap  of  his  hand  as  it 
darted  down  and  fastened  around  the  snake  just 
behind  the  head.  The  long  brown  body  writhed 
about  his  wrist,  with  rattles  clashing.  He  severed 
the  head  deftly  and  tossed  the  twisting  mass  back 
on  the  rocks. 


6  The  Untamed 

Then,  as  if  he  had  performed  the  most  ordinary 
act,  he  rubbed  his  gloves  in  the  sand,  cleansed 
his  knife  in  a  similar  manner,  and  stepped  back 
to  his  horse.  Contrary  to  the  rules  of  horse- 
nature,  the  stallion  had  not  flinched  at  sight  of 
the  snake,  but  actually  advanced  a  high-headed 
pace  or  two  with  his  short  ears  laid  flat  on  his 
neck,  and  a  sudden  red  fury  in  his  eyes.  He 
seemed  to  watch  for  an  opportunity  to  help  his 
master.  As  the  man  approached  after  killing 
the  snake  the  stallion  let  his  ears  go  forward  again 
and  touched  his  nose  against  his  master's  shoulder. 
When  the  latter  swung  into  the  saddle,  the  wolf- 
dog  came  to  his  side,  reared,  and  resting  his  fore 
feet  on  the  stirrup  stared  up  into  the  rider's  face. 
The  man  nodded,  to  him,  whereat,  as  if  he  under 
stood  a  spoken  word,  the  dog  dropped  back  and 
trotted  ahead.  The  rider  touched  the  reins  and 
galloped  down  the  easy  slope.  The  little  episode 
had  given  the  effect  of  a  three-cornered  conversa 
tion.  Yet  the  man  had  been  as  silent  as  the 
animals. 

In  a  moment  he  was  lost  among  the  hills,  but 
still  his  whistling  came  back,  fainter  and  fainter, 
until  it  was  merely  a  thrilling  whisper  that  dwelt 
in  the  air  but  came  from  no  certain  direction. 

His  course  lay  towards  a  road  which  looped 


Pan  of  the  Desert  7 

whitely  across  the  hills.  The  road  twisted  over 
a  low  ridge  where  a  house  stood  among  a  grove  of 
cottonwoods  dense  enough  and  tall  enough  to 
break  the  main  force  of  any  wind.  On  the  same 
road,  a  thousand  yards  closer  to  the  rider  of  the 
black  stallion,  was  Morgan's  place. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   PANTHER 

IN  the  ranch  house  old  Joseph  Cumberland 
frowned  on  the  floor  as  he  heard  his  daughter 
say:  "It  isn't  right,  Dad.  I  never  noticed  it 
before  I  went  away  to  school,  but  since  I've  come 
back  I  begin  to  feel  that  it's  shameful  to  treat  Dan 
in  this  way." 

Her  eyes  brightened  and  she  shook  her  golden 
head  for  emphasis.  Her  father  watched  her  with 
a  faintly  quizzical  smile  and  made  no  reply.  The 
dignity  of  ownership  of  many  thousand  cattle 
kept  the  old  rancher's  shoulders  square,  and  there 
was  an  antique  gentility  about  his  thin  face  with 
its  white  goatee.  He  was  more  like  a  quaint 
figure  of  the  seventeenth  century  than  a  successful 
cattleman  of  the  twentieth. 

"It  is  shameful,  Dad,"  she  went  on,  encouraged 
by  his  silence,  "or  you  could  tell  me  some  reason." 

"Some  reason  for  not  letting  him  have  a  gun?" 
asked  the  rancher,  still  with  the  quizzical  smile. 

8 


The  Panther  9 

' '  Yes,  yes ! ' '  she  said  eagerly,  ' '  and  some  reason 
for  treating  him  in  a  thousand  ways  as  if  he  were 
an  irresponsible  boy." 

"Why,  Kate,  gal,  you  have  tears  in  your  eyes!" 

He  drew  her  onto  a  stool  beside  him,  holding 
both  her  hands,  and  searched  her  face  with  eyes 
as  blue  and  almost  as  bright  as  her  own.  "How 
does  it  come  that  you're  so  interested  in  Dan?" 

"Why,  Dad,  dear,"  and  she  avoided  his  gaze, 
"I've  always  been  interested  in  him.  Haven't 
we  grown  up  together?" 

"Part  ways  you  have." 

"And  haven't  we  been  always  just  like  brother 
and  sister?" 

"You're  talkin'  a  little  more'n  sisterly,  Kate." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"Ay,  ay!  What  do  I  mean!  And  now  you're 
all  red.  Kate,  I  got  an  idea  it's  nigh  onto  time 
to  let  Dan  start  on  his  way." 

He  could  not  have  found  a  surer  way  to  drive 
the  crimson  from  her  face  and  turn  it  white  to  the 
lips. 

"Dad!" 

"Well,  Kate?" 

"You  wouldn't  send  Dan  away!" 

Before  he  could  answer  she  dropped  her  head 
against  his  shoulder  and  broke  into  great  sobs. 


io  The  Untamed 

He  stroked  her  head  with  his  calloused,  sunburned 
hand  and  his  eyes  filmed  with  a  distant  gaze. 

"I  might  have  knowed  it!"  he  said  over  and 
over  again;  "I  might  have  knowed  it!  Hush, 
my  silly  gal." 

Her  sobbing  ceased  with  magic  suddenness. 

"Then  you  won't  send  him  away?" 

"Listen  to  me  while  I  talk  to  you  straight," 
said  Joe  Cumberland,  "and  accordin'  to  the  way 
you  take  it  will  depend  whether  Dan  goes  or 
stays.  Will  you  listen  ? ' ' 

"Dear  Dad,  with  all  my  heart!" 

"Humph!"  he  grunted,  "that's  just  what  I 
don't  want.  This  what  I'm  goin'  to  tell  you  is 
a  queer  thing — a  mighty  lot  like  a  fairy  tale,  maybe. 
I've  kept  it  back  from  you  years  an'  years  thinkin' 
you'd  find  out  the  truth  about  Dan  for  yourself. 
But  bein'  so  close  to  him  has  made  you  sort  of 
blind,  maybe !  No  man  will  criticize  his  own  hoss. ' ' 

"Go  on,  tell  me  what  you  mean.  I  won't 
interrupt." 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment,  frowning  to  gather 
his  thoughts. 

"Have  you  ever  seen  a  mule,  Kate?" 

"Of  course!" 

"Maybe  you've  noticed  that  a  mule  is  just  as 
strong  as  a  horse " 


The  Panther  n 

"Yes." 

" — but  their  muscles  ain't  a  third  as  big?" 

"Yes,  but  what  on  earth 

"Well,  Kate,  Dan  is  built  light  an'  yet  he's 
stronger  than  the  biggest  men  around  here." 

"Are  you  going  to  send  him  away  simply  be 
cause  he's  strong*" 

"It  doesn't  show  nothin',"  said  the  old  man 
gently,  "savin'  that  he's  different  from  the  regular 
run  of  men — an'  I've  seen  a  considerable  pile  of 
men,  honey.  There's  other  funny  things  about 
Dan  maybe  you  ain't  noticed.  Take  the  way  he 
has  with  hosses  an'  other  animals.  The  wildest 
man-killin',  spur-hatin'  bronchos  don't  put  up  no 
fight  when  them  long  legs  of  Dan  settle  round 
'em." 

"Because  they  know  fighting  won't  help  them!" 

"Maybe  so,  maybe  so,"  he  said  quietly,  "but 
it's  kind  of  queer,  Kate,  that  after  most  a  hundred 
men  on  the  best  hosses  in  these  parts  had  ridden 
m  relays  after  Satan  an'  couldn't  lay  a  rope  on 
him,  Dan  could  jest  go  out  on  foot  with  a  halter 
an'  come  back  in  ten  days  leadin'  the  wildest 
devil  of  a  mustang  that  ever  hated  men." 

"It  was  a  glorious  thing  to  do!"  she  said. 

Old  Cumberland  sighed  and  then  shook  his 
head. 


12  The  Untamed 

"It  shows  more'n  that,  honey.  There  ain't 
any  man  but  Dan  that  can  sit  the  saddle  on 
Satan.  If  Dan  should  die,  Satan  wouldn't  be 
no  more  use  to  other  men  than  a  piece  of  haltered 
lightnin'.  An'  then  tell  me  how  Dan  got  hold 
of  that  wolf,  Black  Bart,  as  he  calls  him." 

"It  isn't  a  wolf,  Dad,"  said  Kate,  "it's  a  dog. 
Dan  says  so  himself." 

"Sure  he  says  so,"  answered  her  father,  "but 
there  was  a  lone  wolf  prowlin'  round  these  parts 
for  a  considerable  time  an'  raisin'  Cain  with  the 
calves  an'  the  colts.  An'  Black  Bart  comes 
pretty  close  to  a  description  of  the  lone  wolf. 
Maybe  you  remember  Dan  found  his  'dog'  lyin' 
in  a  gully  with  a  bullet  through  his  shoulder. 
If  he  was  a  dog  how'd  he  come  to  be  shot " 

"Some  brute  of  a  sheep  herder  may  have  done 
it.  What  could  it  prove.?" 

"It  only  proves  that  Dan  is  queer — powerful 
queer!  Satan  an'  Black  Bart  are  still  as  wild  as 
they  ever  was,  except  that  they  got  one  master. 
An'  they  ain't  got  a  thing  to  do  with  other  people. 
Black  Bart'd  tear  the  heart  out  of  a  man  that  so 
much  as  patted  his  head." 

"Why,"  she  cried,  "he'll  let  me  do  anything 
with  him!" 

"Humph!"  said  Cumberland,   a  little  baffled; 


The  Panther  13 

"maybe  that's  because  Dan  is  kind  of  fond  of 
you,  gal,  an'  he  has  sort  of  introduced  you  to  his 
pets,  damn  'em!  That's  just  the  pint!  How  is 
he  able  to  make  his  man-killers  act  sweet  with 
you  an'  play  the  devil  with  everybody  else." 

"It  wasn't  Dan  at  all!"  she  said  stoutly,  "and 
he  isn't  queer.  Satan  and  Black  Bart  let  me  do 
what  I  want  with  them  because  they  know  I  love 
them  for  their  beauty  and  their  strength." 

' '  Let  it  go  at  that, ' '  growled  her  father.  ' '  Kate, 
you're  jest  like  your  mother  when  it  comes  to 
arguin'.  If  you  wasn't  my  little  gal  I'd  say  you 
was  plain  pig-headed.  But  look  here,  ain't  you 
ever  felt  that  Dan  is  what  I  call  him — different? 
Ain't  you  ever  seen  him  get  mad — jest  for  a  minute 
— an'  watched  them  big  brown  eyes  of  his  get 
all  packed  full  of  yellow  light  that  chases  a  chill 
up  and  down  your  back  like  a  wrigglin'  snake?" 

She  considered  this  statement  in  a  little  silence. 

"I  saw  him  kill  a  rattler  once,"  she  said  in  a 
low  voice.  "Dan  caught  him  behind  the  head 
after  he  had  struck.  He  did  it  with  his  bare  hand ! 
I  almost  fainted.  When  I  looked  again  he  had 
cut  off  the  head  of  the  snake.  It  was — it  was 
terrible!" 

She  turned  to  her  father  and  caught  him  firmly 
by  the  shoulders. 


14  The  Untamed 

"Look  me  straight  in  the  eye,  Dad,  and  tell 
me  just  what  you  mean. " 

"Why,  Kate,"  said  the  wise  old  man,  "you're 
beginnin'  to  see  for  yourself  what  I'm  drivin'  at! 
Haven't  you  got  somethin'  else  right  on  the  tip 
of  your  tongue?" 

"There  was  one  day  that  I've  never  told  you 
about,"  she  said  in  a  low  voice,  looking  away, 
"because  I  was  afraid  that  if  I  told  you,  you'd 
shoot  Black  Bart.  He  was  gnawing  a  big  beef  bone 
and  just  for  fun  I  tried  to  take  it  away  from  him. 
He'd  been  out  on  a  long  trail  with  Dan  and  he 
was  very  hungry.  When  I  put  my  hand  on  the 
bone  he  snapped.  Luckily  I  had  a  thick  glove 
on  and  he  merely  pinched  my  wrist.  Also  I 
think  he  realized  what  he  was  doing  for  otherwise 
he'd  have  cut  through  the  glove  as  if  it  had  been 
paper.  He  snarled  fearfully  and  I  sprang  back 
with  a  cry.  Dan  hadn't  seen  what  happened, 
but  he  heard  the  snarl  and  saw  Black  Bart's 
bared  teeth.  Then — oh,  it  was  terrible!" 

She  covered  her  face. 

"Take  your  time,  Kate,"  said  Cumberland 
softly. 

"  'Bart,'  called  Dan,"  she  went  on,  "and  there 
was  such  anger  in  his  face  that  I  think  I  was  more 
afraid  of  him  than  of  the  big  dog. 


The  Panther  15 

''Bart  turned  to  him  with  a  snarl  and  bared 
his  teeth.  When  Dan  saw  that  his  face  turned 
—I  don't  know  how  to  say  it!" 

She  stopped  a  moment  and  her  hands  tightened. 

"Back  in  his  throat  there  came  a  sound  that 
was  almost  like  the  snarl  of  Black  Bart.  The  wolf- 
dog  watched  him  with. a  terror  that  was  uncanny 
to  see,  the  hair  around  his  neck  fairly  on  end, 
his  teeth  still  bared,  and  his  growl  horrible. 

"  'Dan!'  I  called,  'don't  go  near  him!' 

' '  I  might  as  well  have  called  out  to  a  whirlwind. 
He  leaped.  Black  Bart  sprang  to  meet  him  with 
eyes  green  with  fear.  I  heard  the  loud  click 
of  his  teeth  as  he  snapped — and  missed.  Dan 
swerved  to  one  side  and  caught  Black  Bart  by 
the  throat  and  drove  him  into  the  dust,  falling 
with  him. 

"I  couldn't  move.  I  was  weak  with  horror. 
It  wasn't  a  struggle  between  a  man  and  a  beast. 
It  was  like  a  fight  between  a  panther  and  a  wolf. 
Black  Bart  was  fighting  hard  but  fighting  hope 
lessly.  Those  hands  were  settling  tighter  on 
his  throat.  His  big  red  tongue  lolled  out;  his 
struggles  almost  ceased.  Then  Dan  happened  to 
glance  at  me.  What  he  saw  in  my  face  sobered 
him.  He  got  up,  lifting  the  dog  with  him,  and 
flung  away  the  lifeless  weight  of  Bart.  He  began 


16  The  Untamed 

to  brush  the  dust  from  his  clothes,  looking  down 
as  if  he  were  ashamed.  He  asked  me  if  the  dog 
had  hurt  me  when  he  snapped.  I  could  not  speak 
for  a  moment.  Then  came  the  most  horrible 
part.  Black  Bart,  who  must  have  been  nearly 
killed,  dragged  himself  to  Dan  on  his  belly, 
choking  and  whining,  and  licked  the  boots  of  his 
master!" 

"Then  you  do  know  what  I  mean  when  I  say 
Dan  is — different  ? ' ' 

She  hesitated  and  blinked,  as  if  she  were  shut 
ting  her  eyes  on  a  fact.  "I  don't  know.  I  know 
that  he's  gentle  and  kind  and  loves  you  more 
than  you  love  him."  Her  voice  broke  a  little. 
"Oh,  Dad,  you  forget  the  time  he  sat  up  with 
you  for  five  days  and  nights  when  you  got  sick 
out  in  the  hills,  and  how  he  barely  managed  to 
get  you  back  to  the  house  alive!" 

The  old  man  frowned  to  conceal  how  greatly 
he  was  moved. 

"I  haven't  forgot  nothin',  Kate,"  he  said, 
"an'  everything  is  for  his  own  good.  Do  you 
know  what  I've  been  tryin'  to  do  all  these  years?" 

"What?" 

"I've  been  tryin'  to  hide  him  from  himself! 
Kate,  do  you  remember  how  I  found  him?" 

"I  was  too  little  to  know.     I've  heard  you  tell 


The  Panther  17 

a  little  about  it.  He  was  lost  on  the  range.  You 
found  him  twenty  miles  south  of  the  house." 

"Lost  on  the  range?"  repeated  her  father  softly. 
"I  don't  think  he  could  ever  have  been  lost. 
To  a  hoss  the  corral  is  a  home.  To  us  our  ranch 
is  a  home.  To  Dan  Barry  the  whole  mountain- 
desert  is  a  home!  This  is  how  I  found  him.  It 
was  in  the  spring  of  the  year  when  the  wild  geese 
was  honkin'  as  they  flew  north.  I  was  ridin' 
down  a  gulley  about  sunset  and  wishin'  that  I 
was  closer  to  the  ranch  when  I  heard  a  funny, 
wild  sort  of  whistlin'  that  didn't  have  any  tune 
to  it  that  I  recognized.  It  gave  me  a  queer  feelin'. 
It  made  me  think  of  fairy  stories — an'  things  like 
that!  Pretty  soon  I  seen  a  figure  on  the  crest 
of  the  hill.  There  was  a  triangle  of  geese  away 
up  overhead  an'  the  boy  was  walkin'  along  lookin' 
up  as  if  he  was  followin'  the  trail  of  the  wild  geese. 

"He  was  up  there  walkin'  between  the  sunset 
an'  the  stars  with  his  head  bent  back,  and  his 
hands  stuffed  into  his  pockets,  whistlin'  as  if  he 
was  goin'  home  from  school.  An'  such  whistlin'." 

"Nobody  could  ever  whistle  like  Dan,"  she 
said,  and  smiled. 

"I  rode  up  to  him,  wonderin',"  went  on  Cum 
berland. 

"'What're  you  doin'  round  here?'  I  says. 


1 8  The  Untamed 

"Says  he,  lookin'  at  me  casual  like  over  his 
shoulder:  'I'm  jest  takin'  a  stroll  an'  whistlin'. 
Does  it  bother  you,  mister?' 

"It  doesn't  bother  me  none,'  says  I.     'Where 
do  you  belong,  sonny?' 

"'Me?'  says  he,  lookin'  sort  of  surprised, 
'why,  I  belong  around  over  there ! '  An'  he  waved 
his  hand  careless  over  to  the  settin'  sun. 

"There  was  somethin'  about  him  that  made 
my  heart  swell  up  inside  of  me.  I  looked  down 
into  them  big  brown  eyes  and  wondered — well, 
I  don't  know  what  I  wondered;  but  I  remembered 
all  at  once  that  I  didn't  have  no  son. 

'"Who's  your  folks?'  says  I,  gettin'  more  an" 
more  curious. 

"He  jest  looked  at  me  sort  of  bored. 

' '  'Where  does  your  folks  live  at  ? '  says  I. 

'"Oh,  they  live  around  here,'  says  he,  an'  he 
waved  his  hand  again,  an'  this  time  over  towards 
the  east. 

' '  Says  I : '  When  do  you  figure  on  reachin'  home  ? ' 

"'Oh,  most  any  day,'  says  he. 

"An'  I  looked  around  at  them  brown,  naked 
hills  with  the  night  comin'  down  over  them.  Then 
I  stared  back  at  the  boy  an'  there  was  something 
that  come  up  in  me  like  hunger.  You  see,  he 
was  lost;  he  was  alone;  the  queer  ring  of  his 


The  Panther  19 

whistlin'  was  still  in  my  ears;  an'  I  couldn't  help 
rememberin'  that  I  didn't  have  no  son. 

'"Then  supposin'  you  come  along  with  me,' 
says  I,  'an'  I'll  send  you  home  in  a  buckboard 
tomorrow  ? ' 

"So  the  end  of  it  was  me  ridin'  home  with  the 
little  kid  sittin'  up  before  me,  whistlin'  his  heart 
out!  When  I  got  him  home  I  tried  to  talk  to 
him  again.  He  couldn't  tell  me,  or  he  wouldn't 
tell  me  where  his  folks  lived,  but  jest  kept  wavin' 
his  hand  liberal  to  half  the  points  of  the  compass. 
An'  that's  all  I  know  of  where  he  come  from.  I 
done  all  I  could  to  find  his  parents.  I  inquired 
and  sent  letters  to  every  rancher  within  a  hundred 
miles.  I  advertised  it  through  the  railroads, 
but  they  said  nobody'd  yet  been  reported  lost. 
He  was  still  mine,  at  least  for  a  while,  an'  I  was 
terrible  glad. 

"I  give  the  kid  a  spare  room.  I  sat  up  late 
that  first  night  listenin'  to  the  wild  geese  honkin' 
away  up  in  the  sky  an'  wonderin'  why  I  was  so 
happy.  Kate,  that  night  there  was  tears  in  my 
eyes  when  I  thought  of  how  that  kid  had  been 
out  there  on  the  hills  walkin'  along  so  happy  an' 
independent. 

"But  the  next  mornin'  he  was  gone.  I  sent 
my  cowpunchers  out  to  look  for  him. 


20  The  Untamed 

"'Which  way  shall  we  ride?'  they  asked. 

"I  don't  know  why,  but  I  thought  of  the  wild 
geese  that  Dan  had  seemed  to  be  followin'. 

'"Ride  north, '  I  said. 

"An'  sure  enough,  they  rode  north  an'  found 
him.  After  that  I  didn't  have  no  trouble  with 
him  about  runnin'  away — at  least  not  durin' 
the  summer.  An'  all  those  months  I  kept  plan- 
nin'  how  I  would  take  care  of  this  boy  who  had 
come  wanderin'  to  me.  It  seemed  like  he  was 
sort  of  a  gift  of  God  to  make  up  for  me  havin'  no 
son.  And  everythin'  went  well  until  the  next 
fall,  when  the  geese  began  to  fly  south. 

"Sure  enough,  that  was  when  Dan  ran  away 
again,  and  when  I  sent  my  cowpunchers  south 
after  him,  they  found  him  and  brought  him  back. 
It  seemed  as  if  they'd  brought  back  half  the 
world  to  me,  when  I  seen  him.  But  I  saw  that 
I'd  have  to  put  a  stop  to  this  runnin'  away.  I 
tried  to  talk  to  him,  but  all  he'd  say  was  that 
he'd  better  be  movin'  on.  I  took  the  law  in  my 
hands  an'  told  him  he  had  to  be  disciplined.  So  I 
started  thrashin'  him  with  a  quirt,  very  light. 
He  took  it  as  if  he  didn't  feel  the  whip  on  his 
shoulders,  an'  he  smiled.  But  there  came  up  a 
yellow  light  in  his  eyes  that  made  me  feel  as  if  a 
man  was  standin'  right  behind  me  with  a  bare 


The  Panther  21 

knife  in  his  hand  an'  smilin'  jest  like  the  kid  was 
doin'.  Finally  I  simply  backed  out  of  the  room, 
an'  since  that  day  there  ain't  been  man  or  beast 
ever  has  put  a  hand  on  Whistlin'  Dan.  To  this 
day  I  reckon  he  ain't  quite  forgiven  me." 

"Why!"  she  cried,  "I  have  never  heard  him 
mention  it!" 

"That's  why  I  know  he's  not  forgotten  it. 
Anyway,  Kate,  I  locked  him  in  his  room,  but  he 
wouldn't  promise  not  to  run  away.  Then  I  got 
an  inspiration.  You  was  jest  a  little  toddlin' 
thing  then.  That  day  you  was  cryin'  an  awful 
lot  an'  I  suddenly  thought  of  puttin'  you  in  Dan's 
room.  I  did  it.  I  jest  unlocked  the  door  quick 
and  then  shoved  you  in  an'  locked  it  again.  First 
of  all  you  screamed  terrible  hard.  I  was  afraid 
maybe  you'd  hurt  yourself  yellin'  that  way.  I 
was  about  to  take  you  out  again  when  all  at  once 
I  heard  Dan  start  whistlin'  and  pretty  quick  your 
cryin'  stopped.  I  listened  an'  wondered.  After 
that  I  never  had  to  lock  Dan  in  his  room.  I  was 
sure  he'd  stay  on  account  of  you.  But  now, 
honey,  I'm  gettin'  to  the  end  of  the  story,  an'  I'm 
goin'  to  give  you  the  straight  idea  the  way  I  see  it. 

"I've  watched  Dan  like — like  a  father,  almost. 
I  think  he  loves  me,  sort  of — but  I've  never  got 
over  being  afraid  of  him.  You  see  I  can't  forget 


22  The  Untamed 

how  he  smiled  when  I  licked  him!  But  listen 
to  me,  Kate,  that  fear  has  been  with  me  all  the 
time — an'  it's  the  only  time  I've  ever  been  afraid 
of  any  man.  It  isn't  like  being  scared  of  a  man, 
but  of  a  panther. 

"Now  we'll  jest  nacherally  add  up  all  the  points 
we've  made  about  Dan — the  queer  way  I  found 
him  without  a  home  an'  without  wantin'  one — 
that  strength  he  has  that's  like  the  power  of  a 
mule  compared  with  a  horse — that  funny  control 
he  has  over  wild  animals  so  that  they  almost 
seem  to  know  what  he  means  when  he  simply 
looks  at  them  (have  you  noticed  him  with  Black 
Bart  and  Satan?) — then  there's  the  yellow  light 
that  comes  in  his  eyes  when  he  begins  to  get  real 
mad — you  an'  I  have  both  seen  it  only  once,  but 
we  don't  want  to  see  it  again!  More  than  this 
there's  the  way  he  handles  either  a  knife  or  a  gun. 
He  hasn't  practiced  much  with  shootin'  irons, 
but  I  never  seen  him  miss  a  reasonable  mark — 
or  an  unreasonable  one  either,  for  that  matter. 
I've  spoke  to  him  about  it.  He  said:  'I  dunno 
how  it  is.  I  don't  see  how  a  feller  can  shoot 
crooked.  It  jest  seems  that  when  I  get  out  a 
gun  there's  a  line  drawn  from  the  barrel  to  the 
thing  I'm  shootin'  at.  All  I  have  to  do  is  to  pull 
the  trigger — almost  with  my  eyes  closed ! '  Now. 


The  Panther  23 

Kate,  do  you  begin  to  see  what  these  here  things 
point  to?" 

"Tell  me  what  you  see,"  she  said,  "and  then 
I'll  tell  you  what  I  think  of  it  all." 

' '  All  right, ' '  he  said.  ' '  I  see  in  Dan  a  man  who's 
different  from  the  common  run  of  us.  I  read  in 
a  book  once  that  in  the  ages  when  men  lived  like 
animals  an'  had  no  weapons  except  sticks  and 
stones,  their  muscles  must  have  been  two  or  three 
times  as  strong  as  they  are  now — more  like  the 
muscles  of  brutes.  An'  their  hearin'  an'  their 
sight  an'  their  quickness  an'  their  endurance  was 
about  three  times  more  than  that  of  ordinary 
men.  Kate,  I  think  that  Dan  is  one  of  those 
men  the  book  described!  He  knows  animals 
because  he  has  all  the  powers  that  they  have. 
An'  I  know  from  the  way  his  eyes  go  yellow  that 
he  has  the  fightin'  instinct  of  the  ancestors  of 
man.  So  far  I've  kept  him  away  from  other  men. 
Which  I  may  say  is  the  main  reason  I  bought 
Dan  Morgan's  place  so's  to  keep  fightin'  men 
away  from  our  Whistlin'  Dan.  So  I've  been 
hidin'  him  from  himself.  You  see,  he's  my  boy 
if  he  belongs  to  anybody.  Maybe  when  time 
goes  on  he'll  get  tame.  But  I  reckon  not.  It's 
like  takin'  a  panther  cub — or  a  wolf  pup — an 
tryin'  to  raise  it  for  a  pet.  Some  day  it  gets  the 


24  The  Untamed 

taste  of  blood,  maybe  its  own  blood,  an'  then  re 
goes  mad  and  becomes  a  killer.  An'  that's  what 
I  fear,  Kate.  So  far  I've  kept  Dan  from  ever 
havin'  a  single  fight,  but  I  reckon  the  day'll  come 
when  someone'll  cross  him,  and  then  there'll 
be  a  tornado  turned  loose  that'll  jest  about 
wreck  these  parts." 

Her  anger  had  grown  during  this  speech.  Now 
she  rose. 

"I  won't  believe  you,  Dad,"  she  said.  "I'd 
sooner  trust  our  Dan  than  any  man  alive.  I  don't 
think  you're  right  in  a  single  word!" 

"I  was  sure  loco,"  sighed  Cumberland,  "to 
ever  dream  of  convincin'  a  woman.  Let  it  drop, 
Kate.  We're  about  to  get  rid  of  Morgan's  place, 
an'  now  I  reckon  there  won't  be  any  temptation 
near  Dan.  We'll  see  what  time'll  do  for  him. 
Let  the  thing  drop  there.  Now  I'm  goin'  over 
to  the  Bar  XO  outfit  an'  I  won't  be  back  till 
late  tonight.  There's  only  one  thing  more.  I 
told  Morgan  there  wasn't  to  be  any  gun-play  in 
his  place  today.  If  you  hear  any  shootin'  go 
down  there  an'  remind  Morgan  to  take  the  guns 
off'n  the  men." 

Kate  nodded,  but  her  stare  travelled  far  away, 
and  the  thing  she  saw  was  the  yellow  light  burn 
ing  in  the  eyes  of  Whistling  Dan. 


CHAPTER  III 

SILENT  SHOOTS 

IT  was  a  great  day  and  also  a  sad  one  for  Morgan. 
His  general  store  and  saloon  had  been  bought  out 
by  old  Joe  Cumberland,  who  declared  a  deter 
mination  to  clear  up  the  landscape,  and  thereby 
plunged  the  cowpunchers  in  gloom.  They  par 
tially  forgave  Cumberland,  but  only  because  he  was 
an  old  man.  A  younger  reformer  would  have  met 
armed  resistance.  Morgan's  place  was  miles  away 
from  the  next  oasis  in  the  desert  and  the  closing 
meant  dusty,  thirsty  leagues  of  added  journey 
to  every  man  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  word 
"neighbourhood,"  of  course,  covered  a  territory 
fifty  miles  square. 

If  the  day  was  very  sad  for  this  important  rea 
son,  it  was  also  very  glad,  for  rustling  Morgan 
advertised  the  day  of  closing  far  and  wide,  and  his 
most  casual  patrons  dropped  all  business  to  attend 
the  big  doings.  A  long  line  of  buckboards  and 
cattle  ponies  surrounded  the  place.  Newcomers 

25 


26  The  Untamed 

gallopped  in  every  few  moments.  Most  of  them 
did  not  stop  to  tether  their  mounts,  but  simply 
dropped  the  reins  over  the  heads  of  the  horses  and 
then  went  with  rattling  spurs  and  slouching  steps 
into  the  saloon.  Every  man  was  greeted  by  a 
shout,  for  one  or  two  of  those  within  usually  knew 
him,  and  when  they  raised  a  cry  the  others  joined 
in  for  the  sake  of  good  fellowship.  As  a  rule  he 
responded  by  ordering  everyone  up  to  the  bar. 

One  man,  however,  received  no  more  greeting 
than  the  slamming  of  the  door  behind  him.  He 
was  a  tall,  handsome  fellow  with  tawny  hair  and  a 
little  smile  of  habit  rather  than  mirth  upon  his 
lips.  He  had  ridden  up  on  a  strong  bay  horse, 
a  full  two  hands  taller  than  the  average  cattle 
pony,  and  with  legs  and  shoulders  and  straight 
back  that  unmistakably  told  of  a  blooded  pedigree. 
When  he  entered  the  saloon  he  seemed  nowise 
abashed  by  the  silence,  but  greeted  the  turned 
heads  with  a  wave  of  the  hand  and  a  good-natured 
"Howdy,  boys!"  A  volley  of  greetings  replied  to 
him,  for  in  the  mountain-desert  men  cannot  be 
strangers  after  the  first  word. 

"Line  up  and  hit  the  red-eye, "  he  went  on,  and 
leaning  against  the  bar  as  he  spoke,  his  habitual 
smile  broadened  into  one  of  actual  invitation. 
Except  for  a  few  groups  who  watched  the  gambling 


Silent  Shoots  27 

in  the  corners  of  the  big  room,  there  was  a  general 
movement  towards  the  bar. 

"And  make  it  a  tall  one,  boys,"  went  on  the 
genial  stranger.  ' '  This  is  the  first  time  I  ever  irri 
gated  Morgan's  place,  and  from  what  I  have  heard 
today  about  the  closing  I  suppose  it  will  be  the 
last  time.  So  here's  to  you,  Morgan!" 

And  he  waved  his  glass  towards  the  bartender. 
His  voice  was  well  modulated  and  his  enunciation 
bespoke  education.  This,  in  connection  with  his 
careful  clothes  and  rather  modish  riding-boots, 
might  have  given  him  the  reputation  of  a  dude, 
had  it  not  been  for  several  other  essential  details 
of  his  appearance.  His  six-gun  hung  so  low  that 
he  would  scarcely  have  to  raise  his  hand  to  grasp 
the  butt.  He  held  his  whisky  glass  in  his  left 
hand,  and  the  right,  which  rested  carelessly  on 
his  hip,  was  deeply  sunburned,  as  if  he  rarely  wore 
a  glove.  Moreover,  his  eyes  were  marvellously 
direct,  and  they  lingered  a  negligible  space  as  they 
touched  on  each  man  in  the  room.  All  of  this  the 
cattlemen  noted  instantly.  What  they  did  not 
see  on  account  of  his  veiling  fingers  was  that  he 
poured  only  a  few  drops  of  the  liquor  into  his 
glass. 

In  the  meantime  another  man  who  had  never 
before  "irrigated"  at  Morgan's  place,  rode  up. 


28  The  Untamed 

His  mount,  like  that  of  the  tawny-haired  rider,  was 
considerably  larger  and  more  finely  built  than 
the  common  range  horse.  In  three  days  of  hard 
work  a  cattle  pony  might  wear  down  these  blooded 
animals,  but  would  find  it  impossible  to  either 
overtake  or  escape  them  in  a  straight  run.  The 
second  stranger,  short-legged,  barrel-chested,  and 
with  a  scrub  of  black  beard,  entered  the  barroom 
while  the  crowd  was  still  drinking  the  health  of 
Morgan.  He  took  a  corner  chair,  pushed  back  his 
hat  until  a  mop  of  hair  fell  down  his  forehead,  and 
began  to  roll  a  cigarette.  The  man  of  the  tawny 
hair  took  the  next  seat. 

"Seems  to  be  quite  a  party,  stranger,  "  caid  the 
tall  fellow  nonchalantly. 

"Sure,  "  growled  he  of  the  black  beard,  and  after 
a  moment  he  added:  "Been  out  on  the  trail  long, 
pardner?" 

"Hardly  started." 

"So'ml." 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,  I've  got  a  lot  of  hard 
riding  before  me. " 

"So'vel." 

"And  some  long  riding,  too. " 

Perhaps  it  was  because  he  turned  his  head 
suddenly  towards  the  light,  but  a  glint  seemed  to 
come  in  the  eyes  of  the  bearded  man. 


Silent  Shoots  29 

"Long  rides, "  he  said  more  amiably,  "are  sure 
hell  on  hosses." 

"And  on  men,  too,"  nodded  the  other,  and 
tilted  back  in  his  chair. 

The  bearded  man  spoke  again,  but  though  a 
dozen  cowpunchers  were  close  by  no  one  heard  his 
voice  except  the  man  at  his  side.  One  side  of  his 
face  remained  perfectly  immobile  and  his  eyes 
stared  straight  before  him  drearily  while  he 
whispered  from  a  corner  of  his  mouth :  ' '  How  long 
do  you  stay,  Lee?" 

"Noon,"  said  Lee. 

Once  more  the  shorter  man  spoke  in  the  manner 
which  is  learned  in  a  penitentiary:  "Me  too.  We 
must  be  slated  for  the  same  ride,  Lee.  Do  you 
know  what  it  is?  It's  nearly  noon,  and  the  chief 
ought  to  be  here." 

There  was  a  loud  greeting  for  a  newcomer,  and 
Lee  took  advantage  of  the  noise  to  say  quite 
openly:  "If  Silent  said  he'll  come,  he'll  be  here. 
But  I  say  he's  crazy  to  come  to  a  place  full  of 
range  riders,  Bill." 

"Take  it  easy,"  responded  Bill.  "This  hang 
out  is  away  off  our  regular  beat.  Nobody'll  know 
him." 

His  hide  is  his  own  and  he  can  do  what  he  wants 
with  it,  "  said  Lee.     "I  warned  him  before." 


30  The  Untamed 

"Shut  up,"  murmured  Bill,  "Here's  Jim  now, 
and  Hal  Purvis  with  him!" 

Through  the  door  strode  a  great  figure  before 
whom  the  throng  at  the  bar  gave  way  as  water 
rolls  back  from  the  tall  prow  of  a  ship.  In  his 
wake  went  a  little  man  with  a  face  dried  and  with 
ered  by  the  sun  and  small  bright  eyes  which 
moved  continually  from  side  to  side.  Lee  and 
Bill  discovered  their  thirst  at  the  same  time  and 
made  towards  the  newcomers. 

They  had  no  difficulty  in  reaching  them.  The 
large  man  stood  with  his  back  to  the  bar,  his 
elbows  spread  out  on  it,  so  that  there  was  a  little 
space  left  on  either  side  of  him.  No  one  cared  to 
press  too  close  to  this  sombre-faced  giant.  Purvis 
stood  before  him  and  Bill  and  Lee  were  instantly 
at  his  side.  The  two  leaned  on  the  bar,  facing 
him,  yet  the  four  did  not  seem  to  make  a  group 
set  apart  from  the  rest. 

"Well? "asked  Lee. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  it  is  when  we're  on  the 
road,"  said  Jim  Silent.  "Plenty  of  time, 
Haines. " 

"Who'll  start  first?"  asked  Bill. 

"You  can,  Kilduff,"  said  the  other.  "Go 
straight  north,  and  go  slow.  Then  Haines  will 
follow  you.  Purvis  next.  I  come  last  because  * 


Silent  Shoots  31 

got  here  last.  There  ain't  any  hurry — What's 
this  here?" 

' '  I  tell  you  I  seen  it ! "  called  an  angry  voice  from 
a  corner. 

"You  must  of  been  drunk  an'  seem'  double, 
partner,  "  drawled  the  answer. 

"Look  here!"  said  the  first  man,  "I'm  willin' 
to  take  that  any  way  you  mean  it!" 

"An'  I'm  willin',"  said  the  other,  "that  you 
should  take  it  any  way  you  damn  please." 

Everyone  in  the  room  was  grave  except  Jim 
Silent  and  his  three  companions,  who  were  smiling 
grimly. 

"By  God,  Jack, "  said  the  first  man  with  omin 
ous  softness,  ' '  I'll  take  a  lot  from  you  but  when  it 
comes  to  doubtin'  my  word — 

Morgan,  with  popping  eyes  and  a  very  red  face, 
slapped  his  hand  on  the  bar  and  vaulted  over  it 
with  more  agility  than  his  plumpness  warranted. 
He  shouldered  his  way  hurriedly  through  the 
crowd  to  the  rapidly  widening  circle  around  the 
two  disputants.  They  stood  with  their  right 
hands  resting  with  rigid  fingers  low  down  on  their 
hips,  and  their  eyes,  fixed  on  each  other,  forgot 
the  rest  of  the  world.  Morgan  burst  in  between 
them. 

"Look  here,  "  he  thundered,  "it's  only  by  way  of 


32  The  Untamed 

a  favour  that  I'm  lettin'  you  boys  wear  shootin* 
irons  today  because  I  promised  old  Cumberland 
there  wouldn't  be  no  fuss.  If  you  got  troubles 
there's  enough  room  for  you  to  settle  them  out  in 
the  hills,  but  there  ain't  none  at  all  in  here!" 

The  gleam  went  out  of  their  eyes  like  four 
candles  snuffed  by  the  wind.  Obviously  they 
were  both  glad  to  have  the  tension  broken.  Mike 
wiped  his  forehead  with  a  rather  unsteady  hand. 

"I  ain't  huntin'  for  no  special  brand  of  trouble," 
he  said,  "but  Jack  has  been  ridin'  the  red-eye 
pretty  hard  and  it's  gotten  into  that  dried  up  bean 
he  calls  his  brain." 

"Say,  partner,"  drawled  Jack,  "I  ain't  drunk 
enough  of  the  hot  stuff  to  make  me  fall  for  the  line 
you've  been  handing  out." 

He  turned  to  Morgan. 

"Mike,  here,  has  been  tryin'  to  make  me  believe 
that  he  knew  a  feller  who  could  drill  a  dollar  at 
twenty  yards  every  time  it  was  tossed  up." 

The  crowd  laughed,  Morgan  loudest  of  all. 

"Did  you  anyways  have  Whistlin'  Dan  in 
mind?"  he  asked. 

"No,  I  didn't,"  said  Mike,  "an'  I  didn't  say 
this  here  man  I  was  talkin'  about  could  drill  them 
every  time.  But  he  could  do  it  two  times  out  of 
four." 


Silent  Shoots  33 

"Mike,"  said  Morgan,  and  he  softened  his  dis 
belief  with  his  smile  and  the  good-natured  clap  on 
the  shoulder,  "you  sure  must  of  been  drinkin' 
when  you  seen  him  do  it.  I  allow  Whistlin'  Dan 
could  do  that  an'  more,  but  he  ain't  human  with  a 
gun." 

"How  d'you  know?"  asked  Jack,  "I  ain't  ever 
seen  him  packin'  a  six-gun." 

"Sure  you  ain't,"  answered  Morgan,  "but  I 
have,  an'  I  seen  him  use  it,  too.  It  was  jest  sort 
of  by  chance  I  saw  it. " 

"Well,"  argued  Mike  anxiously,  "then  you 
allow  it's  possible  if  Whistlin'  Dan  can  do  it.  An' 
I  say  I  seen  a  chap  who  could  turn  the  trick." 

"An'  who  in  hell  is  this  Whistlin'  Dan?"  asked 
Jim  Silent. 

"He's  the  man  that  caught  Satan,  an'  rode 
him, "  answered  a  bystander. 

"Some  man  if  he  can  ride  the  devil,"  laughed 
Lee  Haines. 

' '  I  mean  the  black  mustang  that  ran  wild  around 
here  for  a  couple  of  years.  Some  people  tell  tales 
about  him  being  a  wonder  with  a  gun.  But 
Morgan's  the  only  one  who  claims  to  have  seen 
him  work." 

"Maybe  you  did  see  it,  and  maybe  you  didn't," 
Morgan  was  saying  to  Mike  noncommittally, 


34  The  Untamed 

"but  there's  some  pretty  fair  shots  in  this  room, 
which  I'd  lay  fifty  bucks  no  man  here  could  hit  a 
dollar  with  a  six-gun  at  twenty  paces." 

"While  they're  arguin',"  said  Bill  Kilduff,  "I 
reckon  I '11  hit  the  trail." 

"Wait  a  minute,"  grinned  Jim  Silent,  "an' 
watch  me  have  some  fun  with  these  short 
horns. " 

He  spoke  more  loudly :  "Are  you  makin'  that  bet 
for  the  sake  of  arguin',  partner,  or  do  you  calculate 
to  back  it  up  with  cold  cash?" 

Morgan  whirled  upon  him  with  a  scowl,  "I  ain't 
pulled  a  bluff  in  my  life  that  I  can't  back  up!"  he 
said  sharply. 

"Well,"  said  Silent,  "I  ain't  so  flush  that  I'd 
turn  down  fifty  bucks  when  a  kind  Christian  soul, 
as  the  preachers  say,  slides  it  into  my  glove.  Not 
me.  Lead  out  the  dollar,  pal,  an'  kiss  it  farewell ! " 

"Who'll  hold  the  stakes?"  asked  Morgan. 

"Let  your  friend  Mike,"  said  Jim  Silent  care 
lessly,  and  he  placed  fifty  dollars  in  gold  in  the 
hands  of  the  Irishman.  Morgan  followed  suit. 
The  crowd  hurried  outdoors. 

A  dozen  bets  were  laid  in  as  many  seconds. 
Most  of  the  men  wished  to  place  their  money  on 
the  side  of  Morgan,  but  there  were  not  a  few  who 
stood  willing  to  risk  coin  on  Jim  Silent,  stranger 


Silent  Shoots  35 

though  he  was.  Something  in  his  unflinching 
eye,  his  stern  face,  and  the  nerveless  surety  of  his 
movements  commanded  their  trust. 

"How  do  you  stand,  Jim?"  asked  Lee  Haines 
anxiously.  "  Is  it  a  safe  bet  ?  I've  never  seen  you 
try  a  mark  like  this  one ! " 

"It  ain't  safe,"  said  Silent,  "because  I  ain't 
mad  enough  to  shoot  my  best,  but  it's  about  an 
even  draw.  Take  your  pick. " 

"Not  me,  "  said  Haines,  "if  you  had  ten  chances 
instead  of  one  I  might  stack  some  coin  on  you.  If 
the  dollar  were  stationary  I  know  you  could  do  it, 
but  a  moving  coin  looks  pretty  small." 

"Here  you  are, "  called  Morgan,  who  stood  at  a 
distance  of  twenty  paces,  "a.  you  ready?" 

Silent  whipped  out  his  revolver  and  poised  it. 
"Let 'ergo!" 

The  coin  whirled  in  the  air.  Silent  fired  as  it 
commenced  to  fall — it  landed  untouched. 

"As  a  kind,  Christian  soul,"  said  Morgan 
sarcastically,  "I  ain't  in  your  class,  stranger. 
Charity  always  sort  of  interests  me  when  I'm  on 
the  receivin'  end!" 

The  crowd  chuckled,  and  the  sound  infuriated 
Silent. 

"Don't  go  back  jest  yet,  partners, "  he  drawled. 
"Mister  Morgan,  I  got  one  hundred  bones  which 


36  The  Untamed 

holler  that  I  can  plug  that  dollar  the  second 
try." 

"Boys,"  grinned  Morgan,  "I'm  leavin'  you  to 
witness  that  I  hate  to  do  it,  but  business  is  business. 
Here  you  are!" 

The  coin  whirled  again.  Silent,  with  his  lips 
pressed  into  a  straight  line  and  his  brows  drawn 
dark  over  his  eyes,  waited  until  the  coin  reached 
the  height  of  its  rise,  and  then  fired — missed — fired 
again,  and  sent  the  coin  spinning  through  the  air 
in  a  flashing  semicircle.  It  was  a  beautiful  piece  of 
gun-play.  In  the  midst  of  the  clamour  of  applause 
Silent  strode  towards  Morgan  with  his  hand 
outstretched. 

"After  all,"  he  said.  "I  knowed  you  wasn't 
really  hard  of  heart.  It  only  needed  a  little  time 
and  persuasion  to  make  you  dig  for  coin  when  I 
pass  the  box." 

Morgan,  red  of  face  and  scowling,  handed  over 
his  late  winnings  and  his  own  stakes. 

' '  It  took  you  two  shots  to  do  it, "  he  said,  "an*  if 
I  wanted  to  argue  the  pint  maybe  you  wouldn't 
walk  off  with  the  coin." 

"Partner,"  said  Jim  Silent  gently,  "I  got  a 
wanderin'  hunch  that  you're  showin'  a  pile  of 
brains  by  not  arguin'  this  here  pint!" 

There  followed  that  little  hush  of  expectancy 


Silent  Shoots  37 

which  precedes  trouble,  but  Morgan,  after  a  glance 
at  the  set  lips  of  his  opponent,  swallowed  his  wrath. 
"I  s'pose  you'll  tell  how  you  did  this  to  your 
kids  when  you're  eighty,  "  he  said  scornfully,  "but 
around  here,  stranger,  they  don't  think  much  of  it. 
Whistlin'  Dan" — he  paused,  as  if  to  calculate  how 
far  he  could  safely  exaggerate — "Whistlin'  Dan 
can  stand  with  his  back  to  the  coins  an'  when 
they're  thrown  he  drills  four  dollars  easier  than 
you  did  one — an'  he  wouldn't  waste  three  shots 
on  one  dollar.  He  ain't  so  extravagant! " 


CHAPTER  IV 

SOMETHING  YELLOW 

THE  crowd  laughed  again  at  the  excitement  of 
Morgan,  and  Silent 's  mirth  particularly  was  loud 
and  long. 

"An'  if  you're  still  bent  on  charity, "  he  said  at 
last,  "maybe  we  could  find  somethin'  else  to  lay 
abet  on!" 

"Anything  you  name!"  said  Morgan  hotly. 

"I  suppose,"  said  Silent,  "that  you're  some 
rider,  eh?" 

"I  c'n  get  by  with  most  of  'em." 

"Yeh — I  suppose  you  never  pulled  leather  in 
your  life?" 

"Not  any  hoss  that  another  man  could  ride 
straight  up." 

"Is  that  so?  Well,  partner,  you  see  that  roan 
over  there?" 

"That  tall  horse?" 

"You  got  him.  You  c'n  win  back  that  hundred 
if  you  stick  on  his  back  two  minutes.  D'you  take 
it?" 

38 


Something  Yellow  39 

Morgan  hesitated  a  moment.  The  big  roan  was 
footing  it  nervously  here  and  there,  sometimes 
throwing  up  his  head  suddenly  after  the  manner  of 
a  horse  of  bad  temper.  However,  the  loss  of  that 
hundred  dollars  and  the  humiliation  which  accom 
panied  it,  weighed  heavily  on  the  saloon  owner's 
mind. 

"I'll  take  you,"  he  said. 

A  high,  thrilling  whistle  came  faintly  from  the 
distance. 

"That  fellow  on  the  black  horse  down  the 
road, "  said  Lee  Haines,  "I  guess  he's  the  one  that 
can  hit  the  four  dollars  ?  Ha !  ha !  ha ! " 

"Sure,"  grinned  Silent,  "listen  to  his  whistle! 
We'll  see  if  we  can  drag  another  bet  out  of  the 
bar-keep  if  the  roan  doesn't  hurt  him  too  bad. 
Look  at  him  now!" 

Morgan  was  having  a  bad  time  getting  his  foot 
in  the  stirrup,  for  the  roan  reared  and  plunged. 
Finally  two  men  held  his  head  and  the  saloon 
keeper  swung  into  the  saddle.  There  was  a  little 
silence.  The  roan,  as  if  doubtful  that  he  could 
really  have  this  new  burden  on  his  back,  and  still 
fearful  of  the  rope  which  had  been  lately  tethering 
him,  went  a  few  short,  prancing  steps,  and  then, 
feeling  something  akin  to  freedom,  reared  straight 
up,  snorting.  The  crowd  yelled  with  delight,  and 


40  The  Untamed 

the  sound  sent  the  roan  back  to  all  fours  and  racing 
down  the  road.  He  stopped  with  braced  feet,  and 
Morgan  lurched  forwards  on  the  neck,  yet  he 
struck  to  his  seat  gamely.  Whistling  Dan  was  not 
a  hundred  yards  away. 

Morgan  yelled  and  swung  the  quirt.  The 
response  of  the  roan  was  another  race  down  the 
road  at  terrific  speed,  despite  the  pull  of  Morgan 
on  the  reins.  Just  as  the  running  horse  reached 
Whistling  Dan,  he  stopped  as  short  as  he  had  done 
before,  but  this  time  with  an  added  buck  and  a 
sidewise  lurch  all  combined,  which  gave  the  effect 
of  snapping  a  whip — and  poor  Morgan  was  hurled 
from  the  saddle  like  a  stone  from  a  sling.  The 
crowd  waved  their  hats  and  yelled  with  delight. 

"Look  out!"  yelled  Jim  Silent.  "Grab  the 
reins!" 

But  though  Morgan  made  a  valiant  effort  the 
roan  easily  swerved  past  him  and  went  racing  down 
the  road. 

"My  God,"  groaned  Silent,  "he's  gone!" 

"Saddles!"  called  someone.  "We'll  catch 
him!" 

"Catch  hell!"  answered  Silent  bitterly.  There 
ain't  a  hoss  on  earth  that  can  catch  him — an'  now 
that  he  ain't  got  the  weight  of  a  rider,  he'll  run 
away  from  the  wind!" 


Something  Yellow  41 

"Anyway  there  goes  Dan  on  Satan  after  him!" 

"No  use!  The  roan  ain't  carryin'  a  thing  but 
the  saddle." 

"Satan  never  seen  the  day  he  could  make  the 
roan  eat  dust,  anyway!" 

"Look  at  'em  go,  boys!" 

"There  ain't  no  use,"  said  Jim  Silent  sadly, 
"he'll  wind  his  black  for  nothin' — an'  I've  lost  the 
best  hoss  on  the  ranges." 

"I  believe  him,"  whisperecl  one  man  to  a 
neighbour,  "because  I've  got  an  idea  that  hoss 
is  Red  Peter  himself!" 

His  companion  stared  at  him  agape. 

"Red  Pete!"  he  said.  "Why,  pal,  that's  the 
hoss  that  Silent " 

"Maybe  it  is  an'  maybe  it  ain't.  But  why 
should  we  ask  too  many  questions?" 

"Let  the  marshals  tend  to  him.  He  ain't  ever 
troubled  this  part  of  the  range." 

"Anyway,  I'm  goin'  to  remember  his  face.  If 
it's  really  Jim  Silent,  I  got  something  that's  worth 
tellin'  to  my  kids  when  they  grow  up." 

They  both  turned  and  looked  at  the  tall  man 
with  an  uncomfortable  awe.  The  rest  of  the 
crowd  swarmed  into  the  road  to  watch  the  race. 

The  black  stallion  was  handicapped  many  yards 
at  the  start  before  Dan  could  swing  him  around 


42  The  Untamed 

after  the  roan  darted  past  with  poor  Morgan  in 
ludicrous  pursuit.  Moreover,  the  roan  had  the 
inestimable  advantage  of  an  empty  saddle.  Yet 
Satan  leaned  to  his  work  with  a  stout  heart. 
There  was  no  rock  and  pitch  to  his  gait,  no  jerk 
and  labour  to  his  strides.  Those  smooth  shoulders 
were  corded  now  with  a  thousand  lines  where 
the  steel  muscles  whipped  to  and  fro.  His  neck 
stretched  out  a  little — his  ears  laid  back  along 
the  neck — his  w^ole  body  settled  gradually  and 
continually  down  as  his  stride  lengthened.  Whist 
ling  Dan  was  leaning  forward  so  that  his  body 
would  break  less  wind.  He  laughed  low  and  soft 
as  the  air  whirred  into  his  face,  and  now  and  then 
he  spoke  to  his  horse,  no  yell  of  encouragement,  but 
a  sound  hardly  louder  than  a  whisper.  There  was 
no  longer  a  horse  and  rider — the  two  had  become 
one  creature — a  centaur — the  body  of  a  horse 
and  the  mind  of  a  man. 

For  a  time  the  roan  increased  his  advantage, 
but  quickly  Satan  began  to  hold  him  even,  and 
then  gain.  First  inch  by  inch;  then  at  every 
stride  the  distance  between  them  diminished. 
No  easy  task.  The  great  roan  had  muscle,  heart, 
and  that  empty  saddle;  as  well,  perhaps,  as  a 
thought  of  the  free  ranges  which  lay  before  him 
and  liberty  from  the  accursed  thraldom  of  the  bit 


Something  Yellow  43 

and  reins  and  galling  spurs.  What  he  lacked  was 
that  small  whispering  voice — that  hand  touching 
lightly  now  and  then  on  his  neck — that  thrill  of 
generous  sympathy  which  passes  between  horse 
and  rider.  He  lost  ground  steadily  and  more  and 
more  rapidly.  Now  the  outstretched  black  head 
was  at  his  tail,  now  at  his  flank,  now  at  his  girth, 
now  at  his  shoulder,  now  they  raced  nose  and  nose. 
Whistling  Dan  shifted  in  the  saddle.  His  left  foot 
took  the  opposite  stirrup.  His  right  leg  swung 
free. 

The  big  roan  swerved — the  black  in  response  to 
a  word  from  his  rider  followed  the  motion — and 
then  the  miracle  happened.  A  shadow  plunged 
through  the  air;  a  weight  thudded  on  the  saddle 
of  the  roan;  an  iron  hand  jerked  back  the  reins. 

Red  Pete  hated  men  and  feared  them,  but  this 
new  weight  on  his  back  was  different.  It  was 
not  the  pressure  on  the  reins  which  urged  him  to 
slow  up ;  he  had  the  bit  in  his  teeth  and  no  human 
hand  could  pull  down  his  head ;  but  into  the  blind 
love,  blind  terror,  blind  rage  which  makes  up  the 
consciousness  of  a  horse  entered  a  force  which  he 
had  never  known  before.  He  realized  suddenly 
that  it  was  folly  to  attempt  to  throw  off  this  cling 
ing  burden.  He  might  as  well  try  to  jump  out  of 
his  skin.  His  racing  stride  shortened  to  a  halting 


44  The  Untamed 

gallop,  this  to  a  sharp  trot,  and  in  a  moment  more 
he  was  turned  and  headed  back  for  Morgan's  place. 
The  black,  who  had  followed,  turned  at  the  same 
time  like  a  dog  and  followed  with  jouncing  bridle 
reins.  Black  Bart,  with  lolling  red  tongue,  ran 
under  his  head,  looking  up  to  the  stallion  now  and 
again  with  a  comical  air  of  proprietorship,  as  if  he 
were  showing  the  way. 

It  was  very  strange  to  Red  Pete.  He  pranced 
sideways  a  little  and  shook  his  head  up  and  down 
in  an  effort  to  regain  his  former  temper,  but  that 
iron  hand  kept  his  nose  down,  now,  and  that  quiet 
voice  sounded  above  him — no  cursing,  no  raking 
of  sharp  spurs  to  torture  his  tender  flanks,  no  whir 
of  the  quirt,  but  a  calm  voice  of  authority  and 
understanding.  Red  Pete  broke  into  an  easy  can 
ter  and  in  this  fashion  they  came  up  to  Morgan 
in  the  road.  Red  Pete  snorted  and  started  to  shy, 
for  he  recognized  the  clumsy,  bouncing  weight 
which  had  insulted  his  back  not  long  before;  but 
this  quiet  voiced  master  reassured  him,  and  he 
came  to  a  halt. 

"That  red  devil  has  cost  me  a  hundred  bones 
and  all  the  skin  on  my  knees,"  groaned  Morgan, 
"and  I  can  hardly  walk.  Damn  his  eyes.  But 
say,  Dan" — and  his  eyes  glowed  with  an  admi 
ration  which  made  him  momentarily  forget  his 


Something  Yellow  45 

pains — "that  was  some  circus  stunt  you  done  down 
the  road  there — that  changin'  of  saddles  on  the 
run,  I  never  seen  the  equal  of  it ! " 

"If  you  got  hurt  in  the  fall, "  said  Dan  quietly, 
overlooking  the  latter  part  of  the  speech,  "why 
don't  you  climb  onto  Satan.  He'll  take  you 
back." 

Morgan  laughed. 

"Say,  kid,  I'd  take  a  chance  with  Satan,  but 
there  ain't  any  hospital  for  fools  handy." 

"Go  ahead.  He  won't  stir  a  foot.  Steady, 
Satan!" 

"All  right,"  said  Morgan,  "every  step  is  sure 
likepullin'  teeth!" 

He  ventured  closer  to  the  black  stallion,  but  was 
stopped  short.  Black  Bart  was  suddenly  changed 
to  a  green-eyed  devil,  his  hair  bristling  around  his 
shoulders,  his  teeth  bared,  and  a  snarl  that  came 
from  the  heart  of  a  killer.  Satan  also  greeted  his 
proposed  rider  with  ears  laid  flat  back  on  his  neck 
and  a  quivering  anger. 

"If  I'm  goin'  to  ride  Satan,"  declared  Morgan, 
"'  I  got  to  shoot  the  dog  first  and  then  blindfold 
the  hoss. " 

"No  you  don't,"  said  Dan.  "No  one  else  has 
ever  had  a  seat  on  Satan,  but  I  got  an  idea  he'll 
make  an  exception  for  a  sort  of  temporary  cripple. 


46  The  Untamed 

Steady,  boy.     Here  you,  Bart,  come  over  here  an' 
keep  your  face  shut ! ' ' 

The  dog,  after  a  glance  at  his  master,  moved 
reluctantly  away,  keeping  his  eyes  upon  Morgan. 
Satan  backed  away  with  a  snort.  He  stopped  at 
the  command  of  Dan,  but  when  Morgan  laid  a 
hand  on  the  bridle  and  spoke  to  him  he  trembled 
with  fear  and  anger.  The  saloon-keeper  turned 
away. 

"Thankin'  you  jest  the  same,  Dan,"  he  said, 
"I  think  I  c'n  walk  back.  I'd  as  soon  ride  a  tame 
tornado  as  that  hoss." 

He  limped  on  down  the  road  with  Dan  riding 
beside  him.  Black  Bart  slunk  at  his  heels,  sniffing. 

"Dan,  I'm  goin'  to  ask  you  a  favour — an'  a  big 
one;  will  you  do  it  for  me?" 

"Sure,"  said  Whistling  Dan.  "Anything  I 
can." 

"There's  a  skunk  down  there  with  a  bad  eye 
an'  a  gun  that  jumps  out  of  its  leather  like  it  had  a 
mind  of  its  own.  He  picked  me  for  fifty  bucks  by 
nailing  a  dollar  I  tossed  up  at  twenty  yards. 
Then  he  gets  a  hundred  because  I  couldn't  ride  this 
hoss  of  his.  Which  he's  made  a  plumb  fool  of  me, 
Dan.  Now  I  was  tellin'  him  about  you — maybe 
I  was  sort  of  exaggeratin' — an'  I  said  you  could 
have  your  back  turned  when  the  coins  was  tossed 


Something  Yellow  47 

an'  then  pick  off  four  dollars  before  they  hit  the 
ground.  I  made  it  a  bit  high,  Dan?" 

His  eyes  were  wistful. 

"Nick  four  round  boys  before  they  hit  the 
dust?"  said  Dan.  "Maybe  I  could,  I  don't  know. 
I  can't  try  it,  anyway,  Morgan,  because  I  told  Dad 
Cumberland  I'd  never  pull  a  gun  while  there  was  a 
crowd  aroun'." 

Morgan  sighed;  he  hesitated,  and  then:  "But 
you  promised  you'd  do  me  a  favour,  Dan?" 

The  rider  started. 

"I  forgot  about  that— I  didn't  think " 

"It's  only  to  do  a  shootin'  trick, "  said  Morgan 
eagerly.  It  ain't  pullin'  a  gun  on  any  one.  Why, 
lad,  if  you'll  tell  me  you  got  a  ghost  of  a  chance, 
I'll  bet  every  cent  in  my  cash  drawer  on  you 
agin  that  skunk!  You've  give  me  your  word, 
Dan." 

Whistling  Dan  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"I've  given  you  my  word,"  he  said,  "an'  I'll 
do  it.  But  I  guess  Dad  Cumberland'll  be  mighty 
sore  on  me." 

A  laugh  rose  from  the  crowd  at  Morgan's  place, 
which  they  were  nearing  rapidly.  It  was  like  a 
mocking  comment  on  Dan's  speech.  As  they 
came  closer  they  could  see  money  changing  hands 
in  all  directions. 


48  The  Untamed 

"What'd  you  do  to  my  boss?"  asked  Jim  Silent, 
walking  out  to  meet  them. 

"He  hypnotized  him,"  said  Hal  Purvis,  and  his 
lips  twisted  over  yellow  teeth  into  a  grin  of  satis 
faction. 

"Git  out  of  the  saddle  damn  quick,"  growled 
Silent.  "It  ain't  nacheral  he'd  let  you  ride  him 
like  he  was  a  plough-hoss.  An'  if  you've  tried  any 
fancy  stunts,  I'll " 

"Take  it  easy, "  said  Purvis  as  Dan  slipped  from 
the  saddle  without  showing  the  slightest  anger. 
"Take  it  easy.  You're  a  bum  loser.  When  I  seen 
the  black  settle  down  to  his  work, "  he  explained  to 
Dan  with  another  grin,  "I  knowed  he'd  nail  him 
in  the  end  an'  I  staked  twenty  on  you  agin  my 
friend  here!  That  was  sure  a  slick  change  of 
hosses  you  made." 

There  were  other  losers.  Money  chinked  on  all 
sides  to  an  accompaniment  of  laughter  and 
curses.  Jim  Silent  was  examining  the  roan  with 
a  scowl,  while  Bill  Kilduff  and  Hal  Purvis  ap 
proached  Satan  to  look  over  his  points.  Purvis 
reached  out  towards  the  bridle  when  a  murderous 
snarl  at  his  feet  made  him  jump  back  with  a  shout. 
He  stood  with  his  gun  poised,  facing  Black  Bart. 

"Who's  got  any  money  to  bet  this  damn  wolf 
lives  more'n  five  seconds?"  he  said  savagely. 


Something  Yellow  49 

"I  have,  "  said  Dan. 

"Who  in  hell  are  you?  What  d'you  mean  by 
trailing  this  man-killer  around?" 

He  turned  to  Dan  with  his  gun  still  poised. 

"Bart  ain't  a  killer, "  said  Dan,  and  the  gentle 
ness  of  his  voice  was  oil  on  troubled  waters,  "but 
he  gets  peeved  when  a  stranger  comes  nigh  to  the 
hoss." 

"All  right  this  time,"  said  Purvis,  slowly  restor 
ing  his  gun  to  its  holster,  ' '  but  if  this  wolf  of  yours 
looks  cross-eyed  at  me  agin  he'll  hit  the  long  trail 
that  ain't  got  any  end,  savvy?" 

"Sure,"  said  Dan,  and  his  soft  brown  eyes 
smiled  placatingly. 

Purvis  kept  his  right  hand  close  to  the  butt  of 
his  gun  and  his  eyes  glinted  as  if  he  expected  an 
answer  somewhat  stronger  than  words.  At  this 
mild  acquiesence  he  turned  away,  sneering. 
Silent,  having  discovered  that  he  could  find  no 
fault  with  Dan's  treatment  of  his  horse,  now 
approached  with  an  ominously  thin-lipped  smile. 
Lee  Haines  read  his  face  and  came  to  his  side  with 
a  whisper:  "Better  cut  out  the  rough  stuff,  Jim. 
This  chap  hasn't  hurt  anything  but  your  cash,  and 
he's  already  taken  water  from  Purvis.  I  guess 
there's  no  call  for  you  to  make  any  play." 

"Shut  your  face,  Haines,"  responded  Silent,  in 


50  The  Untamed 

the  same  tone.  "He's  made  a  fool  of  me  by 
showin'  up  my  hoss,  an'  by  God  I'm  goin'  to  give 
him  a  man-handlin'  he'll  never  forgit." 

He  whirled  on  Morgan. 

"How  about  it,  bar-keep,  is  this  the  dead  shot 
you  was  spillin'  so  many  words  about?" 

Dan,  as  if  he  could  not  understand  the  broad 
insult,  merely  smiled  at  him  with  marvellous  good 
nature. 

"Keep  away  from  him,  stranger,"  warned 
Morgan.  "Jest  because  he  rode  your  hoss  you 
ain't  got  a  cause  to  hunt  trouble  with  him.  He's 
been  taught  not  to  fight." 

Silent,  still  looking  Dan  over  with  insolent  eyes, 
replied:  "He  sure  sticks  to  his  daddy's  lessons. 
Nice  an'  quiet  an'  house  broke,  ain't  he?  In  my 
part  of  the  country  they  dress  this  kind  of  a  man  in 
gal's  clothes  so's  nobody'll  ever  get  sore  at  him  an' 
spoil  his  pretty  face.  Better  go  home  to  your  ma. 
This  ain't  any  place  for  you.  They's  men  aroun' 
here." 

There  was  another  one  of  those  grimly  expectant 
hushes  and  then  a  general  guffaw ;  Dan  showed  no 
inclination  to  take  offence.  He  merely  stared  at 
brawny  Jim  Silent  with  a  sort  of  childlike  wonder. 

"All  right, "  he  said  meekly,  "if  I  ain't  wanted 
around  here  I  figger  there  ain't  any  cause  why  I 


Something  Yellow  51 

should  stay.  You  don't  figger  to  be  peeved  at  me, 
do  you?" 

The  laughter  changed  to  a  veritable  yell  of 
delight.  Even  Silent  smiled  with  careless  con 
tempt. 

"No,  kid,"  he  answered,  "if  I  was  peeved  at 
you,  you'd  learn  it  without  askin'  questions." 

He  turned  slowly  away. 

"Maybe  I  got  jaundice,  boys,"  he  said  to  the 
crowd,  "but  it  seems  to  me  I  see  something  kind  of 
yellow  around  here!" 

The  delightful  subtlety  of  this  remark  roused 
another  side-shaking  burst  of  merriment.  Dan 
shook  his  head  as  if  the  mystery  were  beyond  his 
comprehension,  and  looked  to  Morgan  for  an 
explanation.  The  saloon-keeper  approached  him, 
struggling  with  a  grin. 

"It's  all  right,  Dan,"  he  said.  "Don't  let  'em 
rile  you." 

"You  ain't  got  any  cause  to  fear  that,"  said 
Silent,  "because  it  can't  be  done." 


CHAPTER  V 

FOUR  IN  THE  AIR 

DAN  looked  from  Morgan  to  Silent  and  back 
again  for  understanding.  He  felt  that  something 
was  wrong,  but  what  it  was  he  had  not  the  slightest 
idea.  For  many  years  old  Joe  Cumberland  had 
patiently  taught  him  that  the  last  offence  against 
God  and  man  was  to  fight.  The  old  cattleman  had 
instilled  in  him  the  belief  that  if  he  did  not  cross 
the  path  of  another,  no  one  would  cross  his  way. 
The  code  was  perfect  and  satisfying.  He  would 
let  the  world  alone  and  the  world  would  not 
trouble  him.  The  placid  current  of  his  life  had 
never  come  to  "white  waters"  of  wrath. 

Wherefore  he  gazed  bewildered  about  him. 
They  were  laughing — they  were  laughing  un 
pleasantly  at  him  as  he  had  seen  men  laugh  at  a 
fiery  young  colt  which  struggled  against  the  rope. 
It  was  very  strange.  They  could  not  mean  harm. 
Therefore  he  smiled  back  at  them  rather  uncer 
tainly.  Morgan  slapped  at  his  shoulder  by  way 

52 


Four  in  the  Air  53 

of  good-fellowship  and  to  hearten  him,  but  Dan 
slipped  away  under  the  extended  hand  with  a 
motion  as  subtle  and  swift  as  the  twist  of  a  snake 
when  it  flees  for  its  hole.  He  had  a  deep  aversion 
for  contact  with  another  man's  body.  He  hated 
it  as  the  wild  horse  hates  the  shadow  of  the  flying 
rope. 

"Steady  up,  pal, "  said  Morgan,  "the  lads  mean 
no  harm.  That  tall  man  is  considerable  riled; 
which  he'll  now  bet  his  sombrero  agin  you  when 
it  comes  to  shootinV 

He  turned  back  to  Silent. 

"Look  here,  partner, "  he  said,  "this  is  the  man 
I  said  could  nail  the  four  dollars  before  they  hit  the 
dust.  I  figger  you  don't  think  how  it  can  be 
done,  eh?" 

' '  Him  ? ' '  said  Silent  in  deep  disgust.  ' '  Send  him 
back  to  his  ma  before  somebody  musses  him  all 
up!  Why,  he  don't  even  pack  a  gun!" 

Morgan  waited  a  long  moment  so  that  the  little 
silence  would  make  his  next  speech  impressive. 

"Stranger,"  he  said,  "I've  still  got  somewhere 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  five  hundred  dollars  in  that 
cash  drawer.  An'  every  cent  of  it  hollers  that 
Dan  can  do  what  I  said." 

Silent  hesitated.  His  code  was  loose,  but  he  did 
not  like  to  take  advantage  of  a  drunk  or  a  crazy 


54  The  Untamed 

man.  However,  five  hundred  dollars  was  five 
hundred  dollars.  Moreover  that  handsome  fellow 
who  had  just  taken  water  from  Hal  Purvis  and  was 
now  smiling  foolishly  at  his  own  shame,  had  ac 
tually  ridden  Red  Peter.  The  remembrance  in 
furiated  Silent. 

"Hurry  up,"  said  Morgan  confidently.  "I 
dunno  what  you're  thinkin',  stranger.  Which 
I'm  kind  of  deaf  an'  I  don't  understand  the  way 
anything  talks  except  money." 

"Corral  that  talk,  Morgan!"  called  a  voice  from 
the  crowd,  "you're  plumb  locoed  if  you  think  any 
man  in  the  world  can  get  away  with  a  stunt  like 
that!  Pick  four  in  the  air!" 

"You  keep  your  jaw  for  yourself,"  said  Silent 
angrily,  "if  he  wants  to  donate  a  little  more  money 
to  charity,  let  him  do  it.  Morgan,  I've  got  five 
hundred  here  to  cover  your  stake. " 

"Make  him  give  you  odds,  Morgan,"  said 
another  voice,  ' '  because ' 

A  glance  from  Silent  cut  the  suggestion  short. 
After  that  there  was  little  loud  conversation.  The 
stakes  were  large.  The  excitement  made  the 
men  hush  the  very  tones  in  which  they  spoke. 
Morgan  moistened  his  white  lips. 

"You  c'n  see  I'm  not  packin'  any  shootin'  irons," 
said  Dan.  "Has  anybody  got  any  suggestions?" 


Four  in  the  Air  55 

Every  gun  in  the  crowd  was  instantly  at  his 
service.  They  were  heartily  tempted  to  despise 
Dan,  but  as  one  with  the  courage  to  attempt  the 
impossible,  they  would  help  him  as  far  as  they 
could.  He  took  their  guns  one  after  the  other, 
weighed  them,  tried  the  action,  and  handed  them 
back.  It  was  almost  as  if  there  were  a  separate 
intelligence  in  the  ends  of  his  fingers  which  in 
formed  him  of  the  qualities  of  each  weapon. 

"Nice  gun,"  he  said  to  the  first  man  whose 
revolver  he  handled,  "but  I  don't  like  a  barrel 
that's  quite  so  heavy.  There's  a  whole  ounce  too 
much  in  the  barrel." 

"What  d'you  mean?"  asked  the  cowpuncher. 
"I've  packed  that  gun  for  pretty  nigh  eight  years ! " 

"Sorry,"  said  Dan  passing  on,  "but  I  can't  work 
right  with  a  top-heavy  gun." 

The  next  weapon  he  handed  back  almost  at 
once. 

"What's  the  matter  with  that?"  asked  the 
owner  aggressively. 

"Cylinder  too  tight,"  said  Dan  decisively,  and 
a  moment  later  to  another  man,  "Bad  handle. 
I  don't  like  the  feel  of  it." 

Over  Jim  Silent 's  guns  he  paused  longer  than 
over  most  of  the  rest,  but  finally  he  handed  them 
back.  The  big  man  scowled. 


56  The  Untamed 

Dan  looked  back  to  him  in  gentle  surprise. 

"You  see,"  he  explained  quietly,  "you  got  to 
handle  a  gun  like  a  horse.  If  you  don't  treat  it 
right  it  won't  treat  you  right.  That's  all  I  know 
about  it.  Your  gun  ain't  very  clean,  stranger,  an' 
a  gun  that  ain't  kept  clean  gets  off  feet. " 

Silent  glanced  at  his  weapons,  cursed  softly,  and 
restored  them  to  the  holsters. 

"Lee,"  he  muttered  to  Haines,  who  stood  next 
to  him,  "what  do  you  think  he  meant  by  that? 
D'  you  figger  he's  got  somethin'  up  his  sleeve,  an' 
that's  why  he  acts  so  like  a  damned  woman?" 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Haines  gravely,  "he  looks 
to  me  sort  of  queer — sort  of  different — damned 
different,  chief!" 

By  this  time  Dan  had  secured  a  second  gun 
which  suited  him.  He  whirled  both  guns,  tried 
their  actions  alternately,  and  then  announced  that 
he  was  ready.  In  the  dead  silence,  one  of  the  men 
paced  off  the  twenty  yards. 

Dan,  with  his  back  turned,  stood  at  the  mark, 
shifting  his  revolvers  easily  in  his  hands,  and  smil 
ing  down  at  them  as  if  they  could  understand  his 
caress. 

"How  you  feelin',  Dan?"  asked  Morgan  anx 
iously. 

"Everything  fine,"  he  answered. 


Four  in  the  Air  57 

"Are  you  gettin'  weak?" 

"No,  I'm  all  right." 

"Steady  up,  partner." 

"Steady  up?     Look  at  my  hand!" 

Dan  extended  his  arm.  There  was  not  a  quiver 
in  it. 

"All  right,  Dan.  When  you're  shootin',  re 
member  that  I  got  pretty  close  to  everything  I 
own  staked  on  you.  There's  the  stranger  gettin' 
his  four  dollars  ready.  " 

Silent  took  his  place  with  the  four  dollars  in  his 
hand. 

"Are  you  ready?"  he  called. 

"Let  her  go!"  said  Dan,  apparently  without  the 
least  excitement. 

Jim  Silent  threw  the  coins,  and  he  threw  them  so 
as  to  increase  his  chances  as  much  as  possible. 
A  little  snap  of  his  hand  gave  them  a  rapid  rotary 
motion  so  that  each  one  was  merely  a  speck  of 
winking  light.  He  flung  them  high,  for  it  was 
probable  that  Whistling  Dan  would  wait  to  shoot 
until  they  were  on  the  way  down.  The  higher 
he  threw  them  the  more  rapidly  they  would  be 
travelling  when  they  crossed  the  level  of  the 
markman's  eye. 

As  a  shout  proclaimed  the  throwing  of  the  coins, 
Dan  whirled,  and  it  seemed  to  the  bystanders  that 


58  The  Untamed 

a  revolver  exploded  before  he  was  fully  turned; 
but  one  of  the  coins  never  rose  to  the  height  of  the 
throw.  There  was  a  light  "cling!"  and  it  spun  a 
dozen  yards  away.  Two  more  shots  blended  al 
most  together;  two  more  dollars  darted  away  in 
twinkling  streaks  of  light.  One  coin  still  fell,  but 
when  it  was  a  few  inches  from  the  earth  a  six- 
shooter  barked  again  and  the  fourth  dollar  glanced 
sidewise  into  the  dust.  It  takes  long  to  describe 
the  feat.  Actually,  the  four  shots  consumed  less 
than  a  second  of  time. 

"That  last  dollar,"  said  Dan,  and  his  soft  voice 
was  the  first  sound  out  of  the  silence,  "wasn't 
good.  It  didn't  ring  true.  Counterfeit?" 

It  seemed  that  no  one  heard  his  words.  The 
men  were  making  a  wild  scramble  for  the  dollars. 
They  dived  into  the  dust  for  them,  rising  white  of 
face  and  clothes  to  fight  and  struggle  over  their 
prizes.  Those  dollars  with  the  chips  and  neat 
round  holes  in  them  would  confirm  the  truth  of  a 
story  that  the  most  credulous  might  be  tempted  to 
laugh  or  scorn.  A  cowpuncher  offered  ten  dollars 
for  one  of  the  relics — but  none  would  part  with  a 
prize. 

The  moment  the  shooting  was  over  Dan  stepped 
quietly  back  and  restored  the  guns  to  the  owners. 
The  first  man  seized  his  weapon  carelessly.  He 


Four  in  the  Air  59 

was  in  the  midst  of  his  rush  after  one  of  the 
chipped  coins.  The  other  cowpuncher  received  his 
weapon  almost  with  reverence. 

"I'm  thankin'  you  for  the  loan,"  said  Dan, 
"an  here's  hopin'  you  always  have  luck  with  the 
gun." 

4 '  Luck  ? ' '  said  the  other.  ' '  I  sure  will  have  luck 
with  it.  I'm  goin'  to  oil  her  up  and  put  her  in  a 
glass  case  back  home,  an'  when  I  get  grandchildren 
I'm  goin'  to  point  out  that  gun  to  'em  and  tell  'em 
what  men  used  to  do  in  the  old  days.  Let's  go  in 
an'  surround  some  red-eye  at  my  expense." 

"No  thanks, "  answered  Dan,  "I  ain't  drinkin'. " 

He  stepped  back  to  the  edge  of  the  circle  and 
folded  his  arms.  It  was  as  if  he  had  walked  out  of 
the  picture.  He  suddenly  seemed  to  be  aloof  from 
them  all. 

Out  of  the  quiet  burst  a  torrent  of  curses,  ex 
clamations,  and  shouts.  Chance  drew  Jim  Silent 
and  his  three  followers  together. 

"My  God!"  whispered  Lee  Haines,  with  a  sort 
of  horror  in  his  voice,  ' '  it  wasn't  human !  Did  you 
see?  Did  you  see?" 

"Am  I  blind?"  asked  Hal  Purvis,  "an'  think  of 
me  walkin'  up  an'  bracin'  that  killer  like  he  was  a 
two-year-old  kid!  I  figger  that's  the  nearest  I 
ever  come  to  a  undeserved  grave,  an'  I've  had  some 


60  The  Untamed 

close  calls!  'That  last  dollar  wasn't  good!  It 
didn't  ring  true,'  says  he  when  he  finished.  I 
never  seen  such  nerve!" 

"You're  wrong  as  hell,"  said  Silent,  "a  woman 
can  shoot  at  a  target,  but  it  takes  a  cold  nerve  to 
shoot  at  a  man — an'  this  feller  is  yellow  all 
through!" 

"Is  he?"  growled  Bill  Kilduff,  "well,  I'd  hate  to 
take  him  by  surprise,  so's  he'd  forget  himself. 
He  gets  as  much  action  out  of  a  common  six-gun 
as  if  it  was  a  gatling.  He  was  right  about  that 
last  dollar,  too.  It  was  pure — lead!" 

"All  right,  Haines,"  said  Silent.  "You  c'n 
start  now  any  time,  an'  the  rest  of  us'll  follow  on 
the  way  I  said.  I'm  leavin'  last.  I  got  a  little 
job  to  finish  up  with  the  kid." 

But  Haines  was  staring  fixedly  down  the  road. 

"I'm  not  leaving  yet,"  said  Haines.     "Look!" 

He  turned  to  one  of  the  cowpunchers. 

"Who's  the  girl  riding  up  the  road,  pardner?" 

"That  calico?  She's  Kate  Cumberland — old 
Joe's  gal." 

"I  like  the  name,"  said  Haines.  "She  sits  the 
saddle  like  a  man!" 

Her  pony  darted  off  from  some  imaginary  object 
in  the  middle  of  the  road,  and  she  swayed  grace 
fully,  following  the  sudden  motion.  Her  mount 


Four  in  the  Air  61 

came  to  the  sudden  halt  of  the  cattle  pony  and  she 
slipped  to  the  ground  before  Morgan  could  run 
out  to  help.  Even  Lee  Haines,  who  was  far 
quicker,  could  not  reach  her  in  time. 

"Sorry  I'm  late,"  said  Haines.  "Shall  I  tie 
your  horse?" 

The  fast  ride  had  blown  colour  to  her  face  and 
good  spirits  into  her  eyes.  She  smiled  up  to  him, 
and  as  she  shook  her  head  in  refusal  her  eyes 
lingered  a  pardonable  moment  on  his  handsome 
face,  with  the  stray  lock  of  tawny  hair  fallen  low 
across  his  forehead.  She  was  used  to  frank  admi 
ration,  but  this  unembarrassed  courtesy  was  a 
new  world  to  her.  She  was  still  smiling  when  she 
turned  to  Morgan. 

"You  told  my  father  the  boys  wouldn't  wear 
guns  today." 

He  was  somewhat  confused. 

' '  They  seem  to  be  wearin'  them, ' '  he  said  weakly, 
and  his  eyes  wandered  about  the  armed  circle, 
pausing  on  the  ominous  forms  of  Hal  Purvis, 
Bill  Kilduff,  and  especially  Jim  Silent,  a  head 
taller  than  the  rest.  He  stood  somewhat  in  the 
background,  but  the  slight  sneer  with  which 
he  watched  Whistling  Dan  dominated  the  entire 
picture. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact."  went  on  Morgan,  "it 


62  The  Untamed 

would  be  a  ten  man  job  to  take  the  guns  away  from 
this  crew.  You  can  see  for  yourself." 

She  glanced  about  the  throng  and  started. 
She  had  seen  Dan. 

"How  did  he  come  here?" 

"Oh,  Dan?"  said  Morgan,  "he's  all  right.  He 
just  pulled  one  of  the  prettiest  shootin'  stunts  I 
ever  seen." 

"But  he  promised  my  father — "  began  Kate, 
and  then  stopped,  flushing. 

If  her  father  was  right  in  diagnosing  Dan's 
character,  this  was  the  most  critical  day  in  his  life, 
for  there  he  stood  surrounded  by  armed  men. 
If  there  were  anything  wild  in  his  nature  it  would 
be  brought  out  that  day.  She  was  almost  glad 
the  time  of  trial  had  come. 

She  said:  "How  about  the  guns,  Mr.  Morgan?" 

"If  you  want  them  collected  and  put  away  for 
a  while, "  offered  Lee  Haines,  "I'll  do  what  I  can 
to  help  you!" 

Her  smile  of  thanks  set  his  blood  tingling.  His 
glance  lingered  a  little  too  long,  a  little  too  gladly, 
and  she  coloured  slightly. 

"Miss  Cumberland,"  said  Haines,  "may  I  in 
troduce  myself?  My  name  is  Lee." 

She  hesitated.  The  manners  she  had  learned  in 
the  Eastern  school  forbade  it,  but  her  Western 


Four  in  the  Air  63 

instinct  was  truer  and  stronger.     Her  hand  went 
out  to  him. 

"I'm  very  glad  to  know  you,  Mr.  Lee." 

"All  right,  stranger,"  said  Morgan,  who  in  the 
meantime  had  been  shifting  from  one  foot  to  the 
other  and  estimating  the  large  chances  of  failure 
in  this  attempt  to  collect  the  guns,  "if  you're  going 
to  help  me  corral  the  shootin'  irons,  let's  start  the 
roundup." 

The  girl  went  with  them.  They  had  no  trouble 
in  getting  the  weapons.  The  cold  blue  eye  of  Lee 
Haines  was  a  quick  and  effective  persuasion. 

When  they  reached  Jim  Silent  he  stared  fixedly 
upon  Haines.  Then  he  drew  his  guns  slowly  and 
presented  them  to  his  comrade,  while  his  eyes 
shifted  to  Kate  and  he  said  coldly :  ' '  Lady,  I  hope 
I  ain't  the  last  one  to  congratulate  you!" 

She  did  not  understand,  but  Haines  scowled  and 
coloured.  Dan,  in  the  meantime,  was  swept  into 
the  saloon  by  an  influx  of  the  cowpunchers  that 
left  only  Lee  Haines  outside  with  Kate.  She  had 
detained  him  with  a  gesture. 


CHAPTER  VI 

LAUGHTER 

"MR.  LEE,  "  she  said,  "I  am  going  to  ask  you  to 
do  me  a  favour.  Will  you?" 

His  smile  was  a  sufficient  answer,  and  it  was  in 
her  character  that  she  made  no  pretext  of  mis 
understanding  it. 

"You  have  noticed  Dan  among  the  crowd?" 
she  asked,  "Whistling  Dan?" 

"Yes, "  he  said,  "I  saw  him  do  some  very  nice 
shooting." 

"It's  about  him  that  I  want  to  speak  to  you. 
Mr.  Lee,  he  knows  very  little  about  men  and  their 
ways.  He  is  almost  a  child  among  them.  You 
seem — stronger — than  most  of  the  crowd  here. 
Will  you  see  that  if  trouble  comes  he  is  not  imposed 
upon?" 

She  flushed  a  little,  there  was  such  a  curious 
yearning  in  the  eyes  of  the  big  man. 

"If  you  wish  it,"  he  said  simply,  "I  will  do 
what  I  can." 

64 


Laughter  65 

As  he  walked  beside  her  towards  her  horse,  she 
turned  to  him  abruptly. 

"You  are  very  different  from  the  men  I  have 
met  around  here,"  she  said. 

"I  am  glad,"  he  answered. 

"Glad?" 

' '  If  you  find  me  different,  you  will  remember  me, 
whether  for  better  or  worse." 

He  spoke  so  earnestly  that  she  grew  grave.  He 
helped  her  to  the  saddle  and  she  leaned  a  little 
to  study  him  with  the  same  gentle  gravity. 

"I  should  like  to  see  you  again,  Mr.  Lee,"  she 
said,  and  then  in  a  little  outburst,  "I  should  like 
to  see  you  a  lot!  Will  you  come  to  my  house 
sometime?" 

The  directness,  the  sudden  smile,  made  him 
flinch.  His  voice  was  a  trifle  unsteady  when  he 
replied. 

"I  shall!"  He  paused  and  his  hand  met  hers. 
"If  it  is  possible." 

Her  eyebrows  raised  a  trifle. 

"Is  it  so  hard  to  do?" 

"Do  not  ask  me  to  explain,"  he  said,  "I  am 
riding  a  long  way. " 

"Oh,  a  'long -rider'!"  she  laughed,  "then  of 
course — "  She  stopped  abruptly.  It  may  have 
been  imagination,  but  he  seemed  to  start  when  she 
s 


66  The  Untamed 

spoke  the  phrase  by  which  outlaws  were  known 
to  each  other.  He  was  forcing  his  eyes  to  meet 
hers. 

He  said  slowly:  "I  am  going  on  a  long  journey. 
Perhaps  I  will  come  back.  If  I  am  able  to,  I  shall. " 

He  dropped  his  hand  from  hers  and  she  remained 
silent,  guessing  at  many  things,  and  deeply  moved, 
for  every  woman  knows  when  a  man  speaks  from 
his  soul. 

"You  will  not  forget  me?" 

"I  shall  never  forget  you, "  she  answered  quietly. 
"Good-bye,  Mr.  Lee!" 

Her  hand  touched  his  again,  she  wheeled,  and 
rode  away.  He  remained  standing  with  the  hand 
she  had  grasped  still  raised.  And  after  a  moment, 
as  he  had  hoped,  she  turned  in  the  saddle  and 
waved  to  him.  His  eyes  were  downward  and  he 
was  smiling  faintly  when  he  re-entered  the  saloon. 

Silent  sat  at  a  table  with  his  chin  propped  in  his 
hand — his  left  hand,  of  course,  for  that  restless 
right  hand  must  always  be  free.  He  stared  across 
the  room  towards  Whistling  Dan.  The  train  of 
thoughts  which  kept  those  ominous  eyes  so  un- 
moving  must  be  broken.  He  sat  down  at  the  side 
of  his  chief. 

"What  the  hell?"  said  the  big  man,  "ain't  you 
started  yet?" 


Laughter  67 

"Lojk  here,  Jim,"  said  Haines  cautiously,  "I 
want  you  to  lay  off  on  this  kid,  Whistling  Dan.  It 
won't  meant  anything  to  you  to  raise  the  devil  with 
him." 

"I  tell  you,"  answered  Silent,  "it'll  please  me 
more'n  anything  in  the  world  to  push  that  damned 
girl  face  of  his  into  the  floor." 

"Silent,  I'm  asking  a  personal  favour  of  you!" 

The  leader  turned  upon  him  that  untamed  stare. 
Haines  set  his  teeth. 

"Haines,"  came  the  answer,  "I'll  stand  more 
from  you  than  from  any  man  alive.  I  know  you've 
got  guts  an'  I  know  you're  straight  with  me.  But 
there  ain't  anything  can  keep  me  from  man- 
handlin'  that  kid  over  there."  He  opened  and 
shut  his  fingers  slowly.  "I  sort  of  yearn  to  get 
at  him!" 

Haines  recognized  defeat. 

"But  you  haven't  another  gun  hidden  on  you, 
Jim?  You  won't  try  to  shoot  him  up?" 

"No,"  said  Silent.  "If  I  had  a  gun  I  don't 
know — but  I  haven't  a  gun.  My  hands'll  be 
enough!" 

All  that  could  be  done  now  was  to  get  Whistling 
Dan  out  of  the  saloon.  That  would  be  simple.  A 
single  word  would  suffice  to  send  the  timid  man 
helter-skelter  homewards. 


68  The  Untamed 

The  large,  lazy  brown  eyes  turned  up  to  Haines 
as  the  latter  approached. 

''Dan,"  he  said,  "hit  for  the  timbers — get  on 
your  way — there's  danger  here  for  you!" 

To  his  astonishment  the  brown  eyes  did  not 
vary  a  shade. 

"Danger?"  he  repeated  wonderingly. 

"Danger!  Get  up  and  get  out  if  you  want  to 
save  your  hide!" 

"What's  the  trouble?"  said  Dan,  and  his  eyes 
were  surprised,  but  not  afraid. 

"The  biggest  man  in  this  room  is  after  your 
blood." 

"Is  he?"  said  Dan  wonderingly.  "I'm  sorry  I 
don't  feel  like  leavin',  but  I'm  not  tired  of  this 
place  yet." 

"Friend,"  said  Haines,  "if  that  tall  man  puts 
his  hands  on  you,  he'll  break  you  across  his  knee 
like  a  rotten  stick  of  wood!" 

It  was  too  late.  Silent  evidently  guessed  that 
Haines  was  urging  his  quarry  to  flee. 

"Hey!"  he  roared,  so  that  all  heads  turned 
towards  him,  "you  over  there." 

Haines  stepped  back,  sick  at  heart.  He  knew 
that  it  would  be  folly  to  meet  his  chief  hand  to 
hand,  but  he  thought  of  his  pledge  to  Kate,  and 
groaned. 


Laughter  69 

"What  do  you  want  of  me?"  asked  Dan,  for  the 
pointed  arm  left  no  doubt  as  to  whom  Silent 
intended. 

"Get  up  when  you're  spoke  to"  cried  Silent. 
"Ain't  you  learned  no  manners?  An'  git  up 
quick!" 

Dan  rose,  smiling  his  surprise. 

' '  Your  friend  has  a  sort  of  queer  way  of  talkin', " 
he  said  to  Haines. 

"Don't  stan'  there  like  a  fool.  Trot  over  to  the 
bar  an'  git  me  a  jolt  of  red-eye.  I'm  dry!" 
thundered  Silent. 

"Sure!"  nodded  Whistling  Dan  amiably, 
"glad  to!"  and  he  went  accordingly  towards  the 
bar. 

The  men  about  the  room  looked  to  each  other 
with  sick  smiles.  There  was  an  excuse  for  ac 
quiescence,  for  the  figure  of  Jim  Silent  contrasted 
with  Whistling  Dan  was  like  an  oak  compared  with 
a  sapling.  Nevertheless  such  bland  cowardice  as 
Dan  was  showing  made  their  flesh  creep.  He 
asked  at  the  bar  for  the  whisky,  and  Mor 
gan  spoke  as  Dan  filled  a  glass  nearly  to  the 
brim. 

"Dan,"  he  whispered  rapidly,  "I  got  a  gun 
behind  the  bar.  Say  the  word  an'  I'll  take  the 
chance  of  pullin'  it  on  that  big  skunk.  Then  you 


70  The  Untamed 

make  a  dive  for  the  door.  Maybe  I  can  keep  him 
back  till  you  get  on  Satan." 

"Why  should  I  beat  it?"  queried  Dan,  as 
tonished.  "I'm  jest  beginnin'  to  get  interested  in 
your  place.  That  tall  feller  is  sure  a  queer  one, 
ain't  he?" 

With  the  same  calm  and  wide-eyed  smile  of 
inquiry  he  turned  away,  taking  the  glass  of  liquor, 
and  left  Morgan  to  stare  after  him  with  a  face  pale 
with  amazement,  while  he  whispered  over  and  over 
to  himself:  "Well,  I'll  be  damned!  Well,  I'll 
be  damned!" 

Dan  placed  the  liquor  before  Silent.  The  latter 
sat  gnawing  his  lips. 

"What  in  hell  do  you  mean?"  he  said.  "Did 
you  only  bring  one  glass  ?  Are  you  too  damn  good 
to  drink  with  me?  Then  drink  by  yourself,  you 
white-livered  coyote!" 

He  dashed  the  glass  of  whisky  into  Dan's  face. 
Half  blinded  by  the  stinging  liquor,  the  latter  fell 
back  a  pace,  sputtering,  and  wiping  his  eyes. 
Not  a  man  in  the  room  stirred.  The  same  sick 
look  was  on  each  face.  But  the  red  devil  broke 
loose  in  Silent 's  heart  when  he  saw  Dan  cringe. 
He  followed  the  thrown  glass  with  his  clenched  fist. 
Dan  stood  perfectly  still  and  watched  the  blow 
coming  His  eyes  were  wide  and  wondering,  like 


those  of  a  child.  The  iron-hard  hand  struck  him 
full  on  the  mouth,  fairly  lifted  him  from  his  feet, 
and  flung  him  against  the  wall  with  such  violence 
that  he  recoiled  again  and  fell  forward  onto  his 
knees.  Silent  was  making  beast  noises  in  his 
throat  and  preparing  to  rush  on  the  half-prostrate 
figure.  He  stopped  short. 

Dan  was  laughing.  At  least  that  chuckling 
murmur  was  near  to  a  laugh.  Yet  there  was  no 
mirth  in  it.  It  had  that  touch  of  the  maniacal  in 
it  which  freezes  the  blood.  Silent  halted  in  the 
midst  of  his  rush,  with  his  hands  poised  for  the 
next  blow.  His  mouth  fell  agape  with  an  odd 
expression  of  horror  as  Dan  stared  up  at  him. 
That  hideous  chuckling  continued.  The  sound 
defied  definition.  And  from  the  shadow  in  which 
Dan  was  crouched  his  brown  eyes  blazed,  changed, 
and  filled  with  yellow  fires. 

"God!"  whispered  Silent,  and  at  that  instant 
the  ominous  crouched  animal  with  the  yellow  eyes, 
the  nameless  thing  which  had  been  Whistling  Dan 
a  moment  before,  sprang  up  and  forward  with  a 
leap  like  that  of  a  panther. 

Morgan  stood  behind  the  bar  with  a  livid  face 
and  a  fixed  smile.  His  fingers  still  stiffly  clutched 
the  whisky  bottle  from  which  the  last  glass  had 
been  filled.  Not  another  man  in  the  room  stirred 


72  The  Untamed 

from  his  place.  Some  sat  with  their  cards  raised 
in  the  very  act  of  playing.  Some  had  stopped 
midway  a  laugh.  One  man  had  been  tying  a  boot 
lace.  His  body  did  not  rise.  Only  his  eyes  rolled 
up  to  watch. 

Dan  darted  under  the  outstretched  arms  of 
Silent,  fairly  heaved  him  up  from  the  floor  and 
drove  him  backwards.  The  big  man  half  stum 
bled  and  half  fell,  knocking  aside  two  chairs. 
He  rushed  back  with  a  shout,  but  at  sight  of  the 
white  face  with  the  thin  trickle  of  blood  falling 
from  the  lips,  and  at  the  sound  of  that  inhuman 
laughter,  he  paused  again. 

Once  more  Dan  was  upon  him,  his  hands  darting 
out  with  motions  too  fast  for  the  eye  to  follow. 
Jim  Silent  stepped  back  a  half  pace,  shifted  his 
weight,  and  drove  his  fist  straight  at  that  white 
face.  How  it  happened  not  a  man  in  the  room 
could  tell,  but  the  hand  did  not  strike  home.  Dan 
had  swerved  aside  as  lightly  as  a  wind-blown  feather 
and  his  fist  rapped  against  Silent's  ribs  with  a  force 
that  made  the  giant  grunt. 

Some  of  the  horror  was  gone  from  his  face  and 
in  its  stead  was  baffled  rage.  He  knew  the  scien 
tific  points  of  boxing,  and  he  applied  them.  His 
eye  was  quick  and  sure.  His  reach  was  whole 
inches  longer  than  his  opponent's.  His  strength 


Laughter  73 

was  that  of  two  ordinary  men.  What  did  it  avail 
him?  He  was  like  an  agile  athlete  in  the  circus 
playing  tag  with  a  black  panther.  He  was  like 
a  child  striking  futilely  at  a  wavering  butterfly. 
Sometimes  this  white-faced,  laughing  devil  ducked 
under  his  arms.  Sometimes  a  sidestep  made  his 
blows  miss  by  the  slightest  fraction  of  an  inch. 

And  for  every  blow  he  struck  four  rained  home 
against  him.  It  was  impossible!  It  could  not 
be!  Silent  telling  himself  that  he  dreamed,  and 
those  dancing  fists  crashed  into  his  face  and  body 
like  sledgehammers.  There  was  no  science  in 
the  thing  which  faced  him.  Had  there  been  trained 
skill  the  second  blow  would  have  knocked  Silent 
unconscious,  and  he  knew  it,  but  Dan  made  no 
effort  to  strike  a  vulnerable  spot.  He  hit  at 
anything  which  offered. 

Still  he  laughed  as  he  leaped  back  and  forth. 
Perhaps  mere  weight  of  rushing  would  beat  the 
dancing  will-o'-the-wisp  to  the  floor.  Silent  bored 
in  with  lowered  head  and  clutched  at  his  enemy. 
Then  he  roared  with  triumph.  His  outstretched 
hand  caught  Dan's  shirt  as  the  latter  flicked  to 
one  side.  Instantly  they  were  locked  in  each 
other's  arms!  The  most  meaning  part  of  the 
fight  followed. 

The  moment  after  they  grappled,  Silent  shifted 


74  The  Untamed 

his  right  arm  from  its  crushing  grip  on  Dan's 
body  and  clutched  at  the  throat.  The  move  was 
as  swift  as  lightning,  but  the  parry  of  the  smaller 
man  was  still  quicker.  His  left  hand  clutched 
Silent  by  the  wrist,  and  that  mighty  sweep  of  arm 
was  stopped  in  mid-air !  They  were  in  the  middle 
of  the  room.  They  stood  perfectly  erect  and  close 
together,  embraced.  Their  position  had  a  ludi 
crous  resemblance  to  the  posture  of  dancers,  but 
their  bodies  were  trembling  with  effort.  With 
every  ounce  of  power  in  his  huge  frame  Silent 
strove  to  complete  his  grip  at  the  throat.  He  felt 
the  right  arm  of  Dan  tightening  around  him 
closer,  closer,  closer!  It  was  not  a  bulky  arm,  but 
it  seemed  to  be  made  of  linked  steel  which  v/as 
shrinking  into  him,  and  promised  to  crush  his 
very  bones.  The  strength  of  this  man  seemed 
to  increase.  It  was  limitless.  His  breath  came 
struggling  under  that  pressure  and  the  blood 
thundered  and  raged  in  his  temples.  If  he  could 
only  get  at  that  soft  throat! 

But  his  struggling  right  hand  was  held  in  a  vice 
of  iron.  Now  his  numb  arm  gave  way,  slowly, 
inevitably.  He  ground  his  teeth  and  cursed.  His 
curse  was  half  a  prayer.  For  answer  there  was  the 
unearthly  chuckle  just  below  his  ear.  His  hand 
was  moved  back,  down,  around !  He  was  helpless 


Laughter  75 

as  a  child  in  the  arms  of  its  father—no,  helpless  as 
a  sheep  in  the  constricting  coils  of  a  python. 

An  impulse  of  frantic  horror  and  shame  and  fear 
gave  him  redoubled  strength  for  an  instant.  He 
tore  himself  clear  and  reeled  back.  Dan  planted 
two  smashes  on  Silent's  snarling  mouth.  A  glance 
showed  the  large  man  the  mute,  strained  faces 
around  the  room.  The  laughing  devil  leaped 
again.  Then  all  pride  slipped  like  water  from  the 
heart  of  Jim  Silent,  and  in  its  place  there  was  only 
icy  fear,  fear  not  of  a  man,  but  of  animal  power. 
He  caught  up  a  heavy  chair  and  drove  it  with  all 
his  desperate  strength  at  Dan. 

It  cracked  distinctly  against  his  head  and  the 
weight  of  it  fairly  drove  him  into  the  floor.  He 
fell  with  a  limp  thud  on  the  boards.  Silent,  reeling 
and  blind,  staggered  to  and  fro  in  the  centre  of 
the  room.  Morgan  and  Lee  Haines  reached  Dan 
at  the  same  moment  and  kneeled  beside  him. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   MUTE   MESSENGER 

ALMOST  at  once  Haines  raised  a  hand  and  spoke 
to  the  crowd:  "He's  all  right,  boys.  Badly  cut 
across  the  head  and  stunned,  but  he'll  live." 

There  was  a  deep  gash  on  the  upper  part  of 
the  forehead.  If  the  cross-bar  of  the  chair  had 
not  broken,  the  skull  might  have  been  injured. 
The  impact  of  the  blow  had  stunned  him,  and  it 
might  be  many  minutes  before  his  senses  returned. 

As  the  crowd  closed  around  Dan,  a  black  body 
leaped  among  them,  snarling  hideously.  They 
sprang  back  with  a  yell  from  the  rush  of  this 
green-eyed  fury;  but  Black  Bart  made  no  ef 
fort  to  attack  them.  He  sat  crouching  before  the 
prostrate  body,  licking  the  deathly  white  face,  and 
growling  horribly,  and  then  stood  over  his  fallen 
master  and  stared  about  the  circle.  Those  who  had 
seen  a  lone  wolf  make  its  stand  against  a  pack  of 
dogs  recognized  the  attitude.  Then  without  a 
sound  as  swiftly  as  he  had  entered  the  room,  he 

76 


The  Mute  Messenger  77 

leaped  through  the  door  and  darted  off  up  the  road. 
Satan,  for  the  first  time  deserted  by  this  wolfish 
companion,  turned  a  high  head  and  neighed  after 
him,  but  he  raced  on. 

The  men  returned  to  their  work  over  Dan's 
body,  cursing  softly.  There  was  a  hair-raising 
unearthliness  about  the  sudden  coming  and  de 
parture  of  Black  Bart.  Jim  Silent  and  his  com 
rades  waited  no  longer,  but  took  to  their  saddles 
and  galloped  down  the  road. 

Within  a  few  moments  the  crowd  at  Morgan's 
place  began  to  thin  out.  Evening  was  coming  on, 
and  most  of  them  had  far  to  ride.  They  might 
have  lingered  until  midnight,  but  this  peculiar 
accident  damped  their  spirits.  Probably  not  a 
hundred  words  were  spoken  from  the  moment 
Silent  struck  Dan  to  the  time  when  the  last  of  the 
cattlemen  took  to  the  saddle.  They  avoided  each 
other's  eyes  as  if  in  shame.  In  a  short  time  only 
Morgan  remained  working  over  Dan. 

In  the  house  of  old  Joe  Cumberland  his  daughter 
sat  fingering  the  keys  of  the  only  piano  within 
many  miles.  The  evening  gloom  deepened  as 
she  played  with  upward  face  and  reminiscent 
eyes.  The  tune  was  uncertain,  weird — for  she 
was  trying  to  recall  one  of  those  nameless  airs 
which  Dan  whistled  as  he  rode  through  the  hills. 


78  The  Untamed 

There  came  a  patter  of  swift,  light  footfalls  in 
the  hall,  and  then  a  heavy  scratching  at  the  door. 

"Down,  Bart!"  she  called,  and  went  to  admit 
him  to  the  room. 

The  moment  she  turned  the  handle  the  door 
burst  open  and  Bart  fell  in  against  her.  She 
cried  out  at  sight  of  the  gleaming  teeth  and  eyes, 
but  he  fawned  about  her  feet,  alternately  whining 
and  snarling. 

"What  is  it,  boy?"  she  asked,  gathering  her 
skirts  close  about  her  ankles  and  stepping  back, 
for  she  never  was  without  some  fear  of  this  black 
monster.  "What  do  you  want,  Bart?" 

For  reply  he  stood  stock  still,  raised  his  nose, 
and  emitted  a  long  wail,  a  mournful,  a  ghastly 
sound,  with  a  broken-hearted  quaver  at  the  end. 
Kate  Cumberland  shrank  back  still  farther  until 
the  wall  blocked  her  retreat.  Black  Bart  had 
never  acted  like  this  before.  He  followed  her 
with  a  green  light  in  his  eyes,  which  shone  phos 
phorescent  and  distinct  through  the  growing 
shadows.  And  most  terrible  of  all  was  the  sound 
which  came  deep  in  his  throat  as  if  his  brute 
nature  was  struggling  to  speak  human  words. 
She  felt  a  great  impulse  to  cry  out  for  help,  but 
checked  herself.  He  was  still  crouching  about 
her  feet.  Obviously  he  meant  no  harm  to  her. 


The  Mute  Messenger  79 

He  turned  and  ran  towards  the  door,  stopped, 
looked  back  to  her,  and  made  a  sound  which  was 
nearer  to  the  bark  of  a  dog  than  anything  he  had 
ever  uttered.  She  made  a  step  after  him.  He 
whined  with  delight  and  moved  closer  to  the 
door.  Now  she  stopped  again.  He  whirled 
and  ran  back,  caught  her  dress  in  his  teeth, 
and  again  made  for  the  door,  tugging  her  after 
him. 

At  last  she  understood  and  followed  him. 
When  she  went  towards  the  corral  to  get  her  horse, 
he  planted  himself  in  front  of  her  and  snarled  so 
furiously  that  she  gave  up  her  purpose.  She  was 
beginning  to  be  more  and  more  afraid.  A  childish 
thought  came  to  her  that  perhaps  this  brute  was 
attempting  to  lure  her  away  from  the  house,  as 
she  had  seen  coyotes  lure  dogs,  and  then  turn  his 
teeth  against  her.  Nevertheless  she  followed. 
Something '  in  the  animal's  eagerness  moved  her 
deeply.  When  he  led  her  out  to  the  road  he  re 
leased  her  dress  and  trotted  ahead  a  short  distance, 
looking  back  and  whining,  as  if  to  beg  her  to  go 
faster.  For  the  first  time  the  thought  of  Dan 
came  into  her  mind.  Black  Bart  was  leading 
her  down  the  road  towards  Morgan's  place. 
What  if  something  had  happened  to  Dan? 

She  caught  a  breath  of  sharp  terror  and  broke 


8o  The  Untamed 

into  a  run.  Bart  yelped  his  pleasure.  Yet  a 
cold  horror  rose  in  her  heart  as  she  hurried.  Had 
her  father  after  all  been  right?  What  power  had 
Dan,  if  he  needed  her,  to  communicate  with  this 
mute  beast  and  send  him  to  her?  As  she  ran  she 
wished  for  the  day,  the  warm,  clear  sun — for  these 
growing  shadows  of  evening  bred  a  thousand 
ghostly  thoughts.  Black  Bart  was  running  back 
wards  and  forwards  before  her  as  if  he  half  en 
treated  and  half  threatened  her. 

Her  heart  died  within  her  as  she  came  in  sight 
of  Morgan's  place.  There  was  only  one  horse 
before  it,  and  that  was  the  black  stallion.  Why 
had  the  others  gone  so  soon?  Breathless,  she 
reached  the  door  of  the  saloon.  It  was  very  dim 
within.  She  could  make  out  only  formless  shades 
at  first.  Black  Bart  slid  noiselessly  across  the 
floor.  She  followed  him  with  her  eyes,  and  now 
she  saw  a  figure  stretched  straight  out  on  the 
floor  while  another  man  kneeled  at  his  side.  She 
ran  forward  with  a  cry. 

Morgan  rose,  stammering.  She  pushed  him 
aside  and  dropped  beside  Dan.  A  broad  white 
bandage  circled  his  head.  His  face  was  almost 
as  pale  as  the  cloth.  Her  touches  went  every 
where  over  that  cold  face,  and  she  moaned  little 
syllables  that  had  no  meaning.  He  lived,  but  it 


The  Mute  Messenger  81 

seemed  to  her  that  she  had  found  him  at  the 
legended  gates  of  death. 

"Miss  Kate!"  said  Morgan  desperately. 

"You  murderer!" 

"You  don't  think  that  /  did  that?" 

"It  happened  in  your  place — you  had  given 
Dad  your  word!" 

Still  she  did  not  turn  her  head. 

"Won,t  you  hear  me  explain?  He's  jest  in  a 
sort  of  a  trance.  He'll  wake  up  feelin'  all  right. 
Don't  try  to  move  him  tonight.  I'll  go  out  an* 
put  his  hoss  up  in  the  shed.  In  the  mornin'  he'll 
be  as  good  as  new.  Miss  Kate,  won't  you  listen 
tome?" 

She  turned  reluctantly  towards  him.  Perhaps 
he  was  right  and  Dan  would  waken  from  his 
swoon  as  if  from  a  healthful  sleep. 

"It  was  that  big  feller  with  them  straight  eyes 
that  done  it,"  began  Morgan. 

"The  one  who  was  sneering  at  Dan?" 

"Yes." 

"Weren't  there  enough  boys  here  to  string 
him  up?" 

"He  had  three  friends  with  him.  It  would  of 
taken  a  hundred  men  to  lay  hands  on  one  of  those 
four.  They  were  all  bad  ones.  I'm  goin'  to  tell  you 
how  it  was,  because  I'm  leavin'  in  a  few  minutes 


82  The  Untamed 

and  ridin'  south,  an'  I  want  to  clear  my  trail  before 
I  start.  This  was  the  way  it  happened — 

His  back  was  turned  to  the  dim  light  which 
fell  through  the  door.  She  could  barely  make 
out  the  movement  of  his  lips.  All  the  rest  of  his 
face  was  lost  in  shadow.  As  he  spoke  she  some 
times  lost  his  meaning  and  the  stir  of  his  lips 
became  a  nameless  gibbering.  The  grey  gloom 
settled  more  deeply  round  the  room  and  over  her 
heart  while  he  talked.  He  explained  how  the 
difference  had  risen  between  the  tall  stranger 
and  Whistling  Dan.  How  Dan  had  been  insulted 
time  and  again  and  borne  it  with  a  sort  of  childish 
stupidity.  How  finally  the  blow  had  been  struck. 
How  Dan  had  crouched  on  the  floor,  laughing, 
and  how  a  yellow  light  gathered  in  his  eyes. 

At  that,  her  mind  went  blank.  When  her 
thoughts  returned  she  stood  alone  in  the  room. 
The  clatter  of  Morgan's  galloping  horse  died 
swiftly  away  down  the  road.  She  turned  to 
Dan.  Black  Bart  was  crouched  at  watch  beside 
him.  She  kneeled  again — lowered  her  head — 
heard  the  faint  but  steady  breathing.  He  seemed 
infinitely  young — infinitely  weak  and  helpless. 
The  whiteness  of  the  bandage  stared  up  at  her 
like  an  eye  through  the  deepening  gloom.  All 
the  mother  in  her  nature  came  to  her  eyes  in  tears. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

RED   WRITING 

HE  stirred. 

"Dan— dear!" 

"My  head,"  he  muttered,  "it  sort  of  aches, 
Kate,  as  if " 

He  was  silent  and  she  knew  that  he  remembered. 

"You're  all  right  now,  honey.  I've  come  here 
to  take  care  of  you — I  won't  leave  you.  Poor 
Dan!" 

"How  did  you  know?"  he  asked,  the  words 
trailing. 

"Black  Bart  came  for  me." 

"Goodol1  Bart!" 

The  great  wolf  slunk  closer,  and  licked  the 
outstretched  hand. 

"Why,  Kate,  I'm  on  the  floor  and  it's  dark. 
Am  I  still  in  Morgan's  place?  Yes,  I  begin  to 
see  clearer." 

He  made  an  effort  to  rise,  but  she  pressed  him 
back. 

83 


84  The  Untamed 

"If  you  try  to  move  right  away  you  may  get 
a  fever.  I'm  going  back  to  the  house,  and  I'll 
bring  you  down  some  blankets.  Morgan  says 
you  shouldn't  attempt  to  move  for  several  hours. 
He  says  you've  lost  a  great  deal  of  blood  and  that 
you  mustn't  make  any  effort  or  ride  a  horse  till 
tomorrow." 

Dan  relaxed  with  a  sigh. 

"Kate." 

"Yes,  honey." 

Her  hand  travelled  lightly  as  blown  snow  across 
his  forehead.  He  caught  it  and  pressed  the  cool 
ness  against  his  cheek. 

"I  feel  as  if  I'd  sort  of  been  through  a  fire.  I 
seem  to  be  still  seein'  red." 

"Dan,  it  makes  me  feel  as  if  I  never  knew  you! 
Now  you  must  forget  all  that  has  happened. 
Promise  me  you  will!" 

He  was  silent  for  a  moment  and  then  he  sighed 
again. 

"Maybe  I  can,  Kate.  Which  I  feel,  though, 
as  if  there  was  somethin'  inside  me  writ — writ  in 
red  letters — I  got  to  try  to  read  the  writin'  before 
I  can  talk  much." 

She  barely  heard  him.  Her  hand  was  still 
against  his  face.  A  deep  awe  and  content  was 
creeping  through  her,  so  that  she  began  to  smile 


The  Writing  85 

and  ^  ras  glad  that  the  dark  covered  her  face. 
She  felt  abashed  before  him  for  the  first  time  in 
her  life,  and  there  was  a  singular  sense  of  shame. 
It  was  as  if  some  door  in  her  inner  heart  had  opened 
so  that  Dan  was  at  liberty  to  look  down  into  her 
soul.  There  was  terror  in  this  feeling,  but  there 
was  also  gladness. 

"Kate." 

"Yes— honey!" 

"What  were  you  hummin'?" 

She  started. 

"I  didn't  know  I  was  humming,  Dan." 

"You  were,  all  right.  It  sounded  sort  of  famil 
iar,  but  I  couldn't  figger  out  where  I  heard  it." 

"I  know  now.     It's  one  of  your  own  tunes." 

Now  she  felt  a  tremor  so  strong  that  she  feared 
he  would  notice  it. 

"I  must  go  back  to  the  house,  Dan.  Maybe 
Dad  has  returned.  If  he  has,  perhaps  he  can 
arrange  to  have  you  carried  back  tonight." 

"I  don't  want  to  think  of  movin',  Kate.  I 
feel  mighty  comfortable.  I'm  forgettin'  all  about 
that  ache  in  my  head.  Ain't  that  queer?  Why, 
Kate,  what  in  the  world  are  you  laughin'  about?" 

"I  don't  know,  Dan.     I'm  just  happy!" 

"Kate." 

"Yes?" 


86  The  Untamed 

"I  like  you  pretty  much." 

"I'm  so  glad!" 

"You  an'  Black  Bart,  an'  Satan " 

"  Oh ! "     Her  tone  changed . 

"Why  are  you  tryin'  to  take  your  hand  away, 
Kate?" 

"Don't  you  care  for  me  any  more  than  for  your 
horse — and  your  dog?" 

He  drew  a  long  breath,  puzzled. 

"It's  some  different,  I  rigger." 

"Tell  me!" 

"If  Black  Bart  died " 

The  wolf-dog  whined,  hearing  his   name. 

"Good  ol'  Bart!  Well,  if  Black  Bart  died 
maybe  I'd  some  day  have  another  dog  I'd  like 
almost  as  much." 

"Yes." 

"An'  if  Satan  died — even  Satan! — maybe  I 
could  sometime  like  another  hoss  pretty  well — 
if  he  was  a  pile  like  Satan!  But  if  you  was  to 
die— it'd  be  different,  a  considerable  pile  different." 

"Why?" 

His  pauses  to  consider  these  questions  were 
maddening. 

"I  don't  know,"  he  muttered  at  last. 

Once  more  she  was  thankful  for  the  dark  to 
hide  her  smile. 


The  Writing  87 

"Maybe  you  know  the  reason,  Kate?" 

Her  laughter  was  rich  music.  His  hold  on  her 
hand  relaxed.  He  was  thinking  of  a  new  theme. 
When  he  laughed  in  turn  it  startled  her.  She 
had  never  heard  that  laugh  before. 

"What  is  it,  Dan?" 

"He  was  pretty  big,  Kate.  He  was  bigger'n 
almost  any  man  I  ever  seen!  It  was  kind  of 
funny.  After  he  hit  me  I  was  almost  glad.  I 
didn't  hate  him ' 

"Dear  Dan!" 

"I  didn't  hate  him — I  jest  nacherally  wanted 
to  kill  him — and  wantin'  to  do  that  made  me  glad. 
Isn't  that  funny,  Kate?" 

He  spoke  of  it  as  a  chance  traveller  might  point 
out  a  striking  feature  of  the  landscape  to  a 
companion. 

"Dan,  if  you  really  care  for  me  you  must  drop 
the  thought  of  him." 

His  hand  slipped  away. 

"How  can  I  do  that?  That  writin'  I  was 
tellin'  you  about ' 

"Yes?" 

"It's  about  him!" 

"Ah!" 

"When  he  hit  me  the  first  time " 

"I  won't  hear  you  tell  of  it!" 


88  The  Untamed 

"The  blood  come  down  my  chin — jest  a  little 
trickle  of  it.  It  was  warm,  Kate.  That  was 
what  made  me  hot  all  through." 

Her  hands  fell  limp,  cold,  lifeless. 

"It's  as  clear  as  the  print  in  a  book.  I've  got 
to  finish  him.  That's  the  only  way  I  can  forget 
the  taste  of  my  own  blood." 

"Dan,  listen  to  me!" 

He  laughed  again,  in  the  new  way.  She  re 
membered  that  her  father  had  dreaded  the  very 
thing  that  had  come  to  Dan — this  first  taste  of 
his  own  powers — this  first  taste  (she  shuddered) 
of  blood ! 

"Dan,  you've  told  me  that  you  like  me.  You 
have  to  make  a  choice  now,  between  pursuing 
this  man,  and  me." 

"You  don't  understand,"  he  explained  care 
fully.  "I  got  to  follow  him.  I  can't  help  it  no 
more'n  Black  Bart  can  help  howlin'  when  he  sees 
the  moon." 

He  fell  silent,  listening.  Far  across  the  hills 
came  the  plaintive  wail  of  a  coyote — that  shrill 
bodiless  sound.  Kate  trembled. 

"Dan!" 

Outside,  Satan  whinnied  softly  like  a  call.  She 
leaned  and  her  lips  touched  his.  He  thrust  her 
away  almost  roughly. 


The  Writing  89 

"They's  blood  on  my  lips,  Kate!  I  can't  kiss 
you  till  they're  clean." 

He  turned  his  head. 

"You  must  listen  to  me,  Dan!" 

"Kate,  would  you  talk  to  the  wind?" 

"Yes,  if  I  loved  the  wind!" 

He  turned  his  head. 

She  pleaded:  "Here  are  my  hands  to  cover 
your  eyes  and  shut  out  the  thoughts  of  this  man 
you  hate.  Here  are  my  lips,  dear,  to  tell  you  that 
I  love  you  unless  this  thirst  for  killing  carries 
you  away  from  me.  Stay  with  me!  Give  me 
your  heart  to  keep  gentle!" 

He  said  nothing,  but  even  through  the  dark 
she  was  aware  of  a  struggle  in  his  face,  and  then, 
through  the  gloom,  she  began  to  see  his  eyes  more 
clearly.  They  semed  to  be  illuminated  by  a 
light  from  within — they  changed — there  was  a 
hint  of  yellow  in  the  brown.  And  she  spoke 
again,  blindly,  passionately. 

"Give  me  your  promise!  It  is  so  easy  to  do. 
One  little  word  will  make  you  safe.  It  will  save 
you  from  yourself." 

Still  he  answered  nothing.  Black  Bart  came 
and  crouched  at  his  head  and  stared  at  her  fixedly. 

"Speak  to  me!" 

Only    the    yellow    light    answered    her.     Cold 


9o  The  Untamed 

fear  fought  in  her  heart,  but  love  still  struggled 
against  it. 

"For  the  last  time — for  God's  sake,  Dan!" 

Still  that  silence.  She  rose,  shaking  and  weak. 
The  changeless  eyes  followed  her.  Only  fear 
remained  now.  She  backed  towards  the  door, 
slowly,  then  faster,  and  faster.  At  the  threshold 
she  whirled  and  plunged  into  the  night. 

Up  the  road  she  raced.  Once  she  stumbled  and 
fell  to  her  knees.  She  cried  out  and  glanced  be 
hind  her,  breathing  again  when  she  saw  that 
nothing  followed.  At  the  house  she  made  no 
pause,  though  she  heard  the  voice  of  her  father 
singing.  She  could  not  tell  him.  He  should  be 
the  last  in  all  the  world  to  know.  She  went  to 
her  room  and  huddled  into  bed. 

Presently  a  knock  came  at  her  door,  and  her 
father's  voice  asked  if  she  were  ill.  She  pleaded 
that  she  had  a  bad  headache  and  wished  to  be 
alone.  He  asked  if  she  had  seen  Dan.  By  a 
great  effort  she  managed  to  reply  that  Dan  had 
ridden  to  a  neighbouring  ranch.  Her  father  left 
the  door  without  further  question.  Afterwards 
she  heard  him  in  the  distance  singing  his  favourite 
mournful  ballads.  It  doubled  her  sense  of  woe 
and  brought  home  the  clinging  fear.  She  felt 
that  if  she  could  weep  she  might  live,  but  other- 


The  Writing  91 

</ise  her  heart  would  burst.  And  after  hours  and 
hours  of  that  torture  which  burns  the  name  of 
"woman"  in  the  soul  of  a  girl,  the  tears  came. 
The  roosters  announced  the  dawn  before  she  slept. 

Late  the  next  morning  old  Joe  Cumberland 
knocked  again  at  her  door.  He  was  beginning 
to  fear  that  this  illness  might  be  serious.  More 
over,  he  had  a  definite  purpose  in  rousing  her. 

"Yes?"  she  called,  after  the  second  knock. 

"Look  out  your  window,  honey,  down  to  Mor 
gan's  place.  You  remember  I  said  I  was  goin' 
to  clean  up  the  landscape?" 

The  mention  of  Morgan's  place  cleared  the 
sleep  from  Kate's  mind  and  it  brought  back  the 
horror  of  the  night  before.  Shivering  she  slipped 
from  her  bed  and  went  to  the  window.  Morgan's 
place  was  a  mass  of  towering  flames! 

She  grasped  the  window-sill  and  stared  again. 
It  could  not  be.  It  must  be  merely  another  part 
of  the  nightmare,  and  no  reality.  Her  father's 
voice,  high  with  exultation,  came  dimly  to  her 
ears,  but  what  she  saw  was  Dan  as  he  had  laid 
there  the  night  before,  hurt,  helpless,  too  weak  to 
move! 

"There's  the  end  of  it,"  Joe  Cumberland  was 
saying  complacently  outside  her  door.  "There 
ain't  goin'  to  be  even  a  shadow  of  the  saloon  left 


92  The  Untamed 

nor  nothin'  that's  in  it.  I  jest  travelled  down 
there  this  mornin'  and  touched  a  match  to  it!" 

Still  she  stared  without  moving,  without  making 
a  sound.  She  was  seeing  Dan  as  he  must  have 
wakened  from  a  swoonlike  sleep  with  the  smell 
of  smoke  and  the  heat  of  rising  flames  around  him. 
She  saw  him  struggle,  and  fail  to  reach  his  feet. 
She  almost  heard  him  cry  out — a  sound  drowned 
easily  by  the  roar  of  the  fire,  and  the  crackling 
of  the  wood.  She  saw  him  drag  himself  with 
his  hands  across  the  floor,  only  to  be  beaten  back 
by  a  solid  wall  of  flame.  Black  Bart  crouched 
beside  him  and  would  not  leave  his  doomed  master. 
Fascinated  by  the  raging  fire  the  black  stallion 
Satan  would  break  from  the  shed  and  rush  into 
the  flames! — and  so  the  inseparable  three  must 
have  perished  together! 

"Why  don't  you  speak,  Kate?"  called  her 
father. 

"Dan!"  she  screamed,  and  pitched  forward  to 
the  floor. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  PHANTOM  RIDER 

IN  the  daytime  the  willows  along  the  wide,  level 
river  bottom  seemed  an  unnatural  growth,  for  they 
made  a  streak  of  yellow-green  across  the  mountain- 
desert  when  all  other  verdure  withered  and  died. 
After  nightfall  they  became  still  more  dreary. 
Even  when  the  air  was  calm  there  was  apt  to  be  a 
sound  as  of  wind,  for  the  tenuous,  trailing  branches 
brushed  lightly  together,  making  a  guarded  whis 
pering  like  ghosts. 

In  a  small  clearing  among  these  willows  sat 
Silent  and  his  companions.  A  fifth  member  had 
just  arrived  at  this  rendezvous,  answered  the  quiet 
greeting  with  a  wave  of  his  hand,  and  was  now 
busy  caring  for  his  horse.  Bill  Kilduff ,  who  had  a 
natural  inclination  and  talent  for  cookery,  raked 
up  the  deft  dying  coals  of  the  fire  over  which  he  had 
cooked  the  supper,  and  set  about  preparing  bacon 
and  coffee  for  the  newcomer.  The  latter  came 
forward,  and  squatted  close  to  the  cook,  watching 

93 


94  The  Untamed 

the  process  with  a  careful  eye.  He  made  a  sharp 
contrast  with  the  rest  of  the  group.  From  one 
side  his  profile  showed  the  face  of  a  good-natured 
boy,  but  when  he  turned  his  head  the  flicker  of 
the  firelight  ran  down  a  scar  which  gleamed  in  a 
jagged  semi-circle  from  his  right  eyebrow  to  the 
corner  of  his  mouth.  This  whole  side  of  his  coun 
tenance  was  drawn  by  the  cut,  the  mouth  stretching 
to  a  perpetual  grimace.  When  he  spoke  it  was  as 
if  he  were  attempting  secrecy.  The  rest  of  the 
men  waited  in  patience  until  he  finished  eating. 
Then  Silent  asked:  "What  news,  Jordan?" 

Jordan  kept  his  regretful  eyes  a  moment  longer 
on  his  empty  coffee  cup. 

"There  ain't  a  pile  to  tell,"  he  answered  at  last. 
4 '  I  suppose  you  heard  about  what  happened  to  the 
chap  you  beat  up  at  Morgan's  place  the  other 
day?" 

"Who  knows  that  /  beat  him  up?"  asked  Silent 
sharply. 

"Nobody,"  said  Jordan,  "but  when  I  heard  the 
description  of  the  man  that  hit  Whistling  Dan 
with  the  chair,  I  knew  it  was  Jim  Silent." 

"What  about  Barry?"  asked  Haines,  but 
Jordan  still  kept  his  eyes  upon  the  chief. 

"They  was  sayin'  pretty  general,"  he  went  on, 
"that  you  needed  that  chair,  Jim.  Is  that  right ? " 


The  Phantom  Rider  95 

The  other  three  glanced  covertly  to  each  other. 
Silent 's  hand  bunched  into  a  great  fist. 

"He  went  loco.  I  had  to  slam  him.  Wr.s  he 
hurt  bad?" 

"The  cut  on  his  head  wasn't  much,  but  he  w-^s 
left  lyin'  in  the  saloon  that  ni^ht,  an'  the  next 
mornin'  old  Joe  Cumberland,  not  knowin'  that 
Whistlin'  Dan  was  in  there,  cor.ie  down  an'  touched 
a  match  to  the  old  joint.  She  went  up  in  smoke 
an'  took  Dan  along." 

No  one  spoke  for  a  moment.  Then  Silent  cried 
out:  "Then  what  was  that  whistlin'  I'v3  heard 
down  the  road  behind  us?" 

Bill  Kilduff  broke  into  rolling  bass  laughter, 
and  Hal  Purvis  chimed  in  with  a  squeaking 
tenor. 

"We  told  you  all  along,  Jim,"  said  Purvis,  as 
soon  as  he  could  control  his  voice,  "that  there 
wasn't  any  whistli  '  behind  us.  We  know  you  got 
powerful  good  hearin',  Jim,  but  we  all  figger  you 
been  makin'  somethin'  out  of  nothin'.  Am  I  right, 
boys?" 

"You  sure  are,"  said  Kilduff,  "I  ain't  heard  a 
thing." 

Silent  rolled  his  eyes  angrily  from  face  to  face. 

"I'm  kind  of  sorry  the  lad  got  his  in  the  fire. 
I  was  hopin'  maybe  we'd  meet  agin.  There's 


96  The  Untamed 

nothin'  I'd  rather  do  than  be  alone  five  minutes 
with  Whistlin'  Dan." 

His  eyes  dared  any  one  to  smile.  The  men 
merely  exchanged  glances.  When  he  turned  away 
they  grinned  broadly.  Hal  Purvis  turned  and 
caught  Bill  Kilduff  by  the  shoulder. 

"Bill,"  he  said  excitedly,  "if  Whistlin'  Dan  is 
dead  there  ain't  any  master  for  that  dog ! " 

"What  about  him?"  growled  Kilduff. 

' '  I'd  like  to  try  my  hand  with  him, "  said  Purvis, 
and  he  moistened  his  tight  lips.  ' '  Did  you  see  the 
black  devil  when  he  snarled  at  me  in  front  of 
Morgan's  place?" 

"He  sure  didn't  look  too  pleasant." 

"Right.  Maybe  if  I  had  him  on  a  chain  I 
could  change  his  manners  some,  eh?" 

"How?" 

"A  whip  every  day,  damn  him — a  whip  every 
time  he  showed  his  teeth  at  me.  No  eats  till  he 
whined  and  licked  my  hand." 

"He'd  die  first.  I  know  that  kind  of  a  dog — or 
a  wolf." 

"Maybe  he'd  die.  Anyway  I'd  like  to  try  my 
hand  with  him.  Bill,  I'm  goin'  to  get  hold  of  him 
some  of  these  days  if  I  have  to  ride  a  hundred  miles 
an'  swim  a  river!" 

Kilduff  grunted. 


The  Phantom  Rider  97 

"Let  the  damn  wolf  be.  You  c'n  have  him,  I 
say.  What  I'm  thinkin'  about  is  the  hoss.  Hal, 
do  you  remember  the  way  he  settled  to  his  stride 
when  he  lighted  out  after  Red  Pete?" 

Purvis  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"You're  a  fool,  Bill.  Which  no  man  but  Barry 
could  ever  ride  that  hoss.  I  seen  it  in  his  eye. 
He'd  cash  in  buckin'.  He'd  fight  you  like  a  man." 

Kilduff  sighed.  A  great  yearning  was  in  his 
eyes. 

"Hal,"  he  said  softly,  "they's  some  men  go 
around  for  years  an'  huntin'  for  a  girl  whose  picture 
is  in  their  bean,  cached  away  somewhere.  When 
they  see  her  they  jest  nacherally  goes  nutty.  Hal, 
I  don't  give  a  damn  for  women  folk,  but  I've 
travelled  around  a  long  time  with  a  picture  of  a 
hoss  in  my  brain,  an'  Satan  is  the  hoss." 

He  closed  his  eyes. 

"  I  c'n  see  him  now.  I  c'n  see  them  shoulders — 
an'  that  head — an',  my  God!  them  eyes — them  fire 
eatin'  eyes!  Hal,  if  a  man  was  to  win  the  heart 
of  that  hoss  he'd  lay  down  his  life  for  you — he'd  run 
himself  plumb  to  death !  I  won't  never  sleep  tight 
till  I  get  the  feel  of  them  satin  sides  of  his  between 
my  knees." 

Lee  Haines  heard  them  speak,  but  he  said 
nothing.  His  heart  also  leaped  when  he  heard  of 


98  The  Untamed 

Whistling  Dan's  death,  but  he  thought  neither 
of  the  horse  nor  the  dog.  He  was  seeing  the  yellow 
hair  and  the  blue  eyes  of  Kate  Cumberland.  He 
approached  Jordan  and  took  a  place  beside  him. 

"Tell  me  some  more  about  it,  Terry, "  he  asked. 

"Some  more  about  what?" 

"About  Whistling  Dan's  death — about  the 
burning  of  the  saloon,"  said  Haines. 

"What  the  hell!  Are  you  still  thinkin'  about 
that?" 

"I  certainly  am. " 

"Then  I'll  trade  you  news,  "  said  Terry  Jordan, 
lowering  his  voice  so  that  it  would  not  reach  the 
suspicious  ear  of  Jim  Silent.  "I'll  tell  you  about 
the  burnin'  if  you'll  tell  me  something  about 
Barry's  fight  with  Silent!" 

"It's  a  trade,"  answered  Haines. 

"All  right.  Seems  old  Joe  Cumberland  had  a 
hunch  to  clean  up  the  landscape — old  fool!  so  he 
jest  up  in  the  mornin'  an'  without  sayin'  a  word  to 
any  one  he  downs  to  the  saloon  and  touches  a 
match  to  it.  When  he  cor-.e  back  to  his  house  he 
tells  his  girl,  Kate,  what  he  done.  With  that  she 
lets  out  a  holler  an'  drops  in  a  faint." 

Haines  muttered. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Terry,  a  little 
anxiously. 


The  Phantom  Rider  99 

"Nothin',"  said  Haines.  "She  fainted,  eh? 
Well,  go  on!" 

"Yep.  She  fainted  an'  when  she  come  to,  she 
told  Cumberland  that  Dan  was  in  the  saloon,  an' 
probably  too  weak  to  get  out  of  the  fire.  They 
started  for  the  place  on  the  run.  When  they  got 
there  all  they  found  was  a  pile  of  red  hot  coals. 
So  everyone  figures  that  he  went  up  in  the  flames. 
That's  all  I  know.  Now  what  about  the  fight  ? " 

Lee  Haines  sat  with  fixed  eyes. 

"There  isn't  much  to  say  about  the  fight,"  he 
said  at  last. 

"The  hell  there  isn't,"  scoffed  Terry  Jordan. 
"From  what  I  heard,  this  Whistling  Dan  simply 
cut  loose  and  raised  the  devil  more  general  than  a 
dozen  mavericks  corralled  with  a  bunch  of  year- 
lings." 

"Cutting  loose  is  right,"  said  Haines.  "It 
wasn't  a  pleasant  thing  to  watch.  One  moment  he 
was  about  as  dangerous  as  an  eighteen-year-old 
girl.  The  next  second  he  was  like  a  panther 
that's  tasted  blood.  That's  all  there  was  to  it, 
Terry.  After  the  first  blow,  he  was  all  over  the 
chief.  You  know  Silent's  a  bad  man  with  his 
hands?" 

"I  guess  we  all  know  that,"  said  Jordan,  with 
a  significant  smile. 


ioo  The  Untamed 

"Well,"  said  Haines,  "he  was  like  a  baby  in  the 
hands  of  Barry.  I  don't  like  to  talk  about  it — 
none  of  us  do.  It  makes  the  flesh  creep." 

There  was  a  loud  crackling  among  the  under 
brush  several  hundred  yards  away.  It  drew 
closer  and  louder. 

"Start  up  your  works  agin,  will  you,  Bill?" 
called  Silent.  ' '  Here  comes  Shorty  Rhinehart,  an' 
he's  overdue." 

In  a  moment  Shorty  swung  from  his  horse  and 
joined  the  group.  He  gained  his  nickname  from 
his  excessive  length,  being  taller  by  an  inch  or  two 
than  Jim  Silent  himself,  but  what  he  gained  in 
height  he  lost  in  width.  Even  his  face  was  mon 
strously  long,  and  marked  with  such  sad  lines 
that  the  favourite  name  of ' '  Shorty ' '  was  affection 
ately  varied  to  "Sour-face"  or  "Calamity."  Si 
lent  went  to  him  at  once. 

"You  seen  Hardy?"  he  asked. 

"I  sure  did,"  said  Rhinehart,  "an'  it's  the  last 
time  I'll  make  that  trip  to  him,  you  can  lay  to 
that." 

"Did  he  give  you  the  dope?" 

"No." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"I  jest  want  you  to  know  that  this  here's  my 
last  trip  to  Elkhead — on  any  business." 


The  Phantom  Rider  101 

"Why?" 

"I  passed  three  marshals  on  the  street,  an'  I 
knew  them  all.  They  was  my  friends,  formerly. 
One  of  them  was 

"What  did  they  do?" 

"I  waved  my  hand  to  them,  glad  an'  familiar. 
They  jest  grunted.  One  of  them,  he  looked  up  an' 
down  the  street,  an'  seein'  that  no  one  was  in 
sight,  he  come  up  to  me  an'  without  shakin'  hands 
he  says :  Tm  some  surprised  to  see  you  in  Elkhead, 
Shorty. '  'Why,'  says  I,  'the  town's  all  right,  ain't 
it?'  'It's  all  right,'  he  says,  'but  you'd  find  it  a 
pile  more  healthier  out  on  the  range. ' ' 

"What  in  hell  did  he  mean  by  that?"  growled 
Silent. 

"He  simply  meant  that  they're  beginnin'  to 
think  a  lot  more  about  us  than  they  used  to. 
We've  been  pullin'  too  many  jobs  the  last  six 
months." 

"You've  said  all  that  before,  Shorty.  I'm 
runnin'  this  gang.  Tell  me  about  Hardy." 

"I'm  comin'  to  that.  I  went  into  the  Wells 
Fargo  office  down  by  the  railroad,  an'  the  clerk 
sent  me  back  to  find  Hardy  in  the  back  room, 
where  he  generally  is.  When  he  seen  me  he 
changed  colour.  I'd  jest  popped  my  head  through 
the  door  an'  sung  out:  'Hello,  Hardy,  how's  the 


102  The  Untamed 

boy? '  He  jumped  up  from  the  desk  an'  sung  out 
so's  his  clerk  in  the  outside  room  could  hear :  'How 
are  you,  lad?'  an'  he  pulled  me  quick  into  the 
room  an'  locked  the  door  behind  me. 

"'Now  what  in  hell  have  you  come  to  Elkhead 
for?'  says  he. 

'"For  a  drink'  says  I,  never  battin'  an  eye. 

"You've  come  a  damn  long  ways,'  says  he. 

'"Sure/  says  I,  'that's  one  reason  I'm  so  dry. 
Will  you  liquor,  pal?' 

"He  looked  like  he  needed  a  drink,  all  right. 
He  begun  loosening  his  shirt  collar. 

"Thanks,  but  I  ain't  drinkin',  says  he.  'Look 
here,  Shorty,  are  you  loco  to  come  ridin'  into  Elk- 
head  this  way?' 

'"I'm  jest  beginnin'  to  think  maybe  I  am,'  says 
I. 

"'Shorty,'  he  says  in  a  whisper,  'they're  begin 
nin'  to  get  wise  to  the  whole  gang — includin'  me.' 

"'Take  a  brace,'  says  I.  'They  ain't  got  a  thing 
on  you,  Hardy.' 

'"That  don't  keep  'em  from  thinkin'  a  hell  of  a 
pile,'  says  he,  'an'  I  tell  you,  Shorty,  I'm  jest  about 
through  with  the  whole  works.  It  ain't  worth  it 
• — not  if  there  was  a  million  in  it.  Everybody  is 
gettin'  wise  to  Silent,  an'  the  rest  of  you.  Pretty 
soon  hell's  goin'  to  bust  loose.' 


The  Phantom  Rider  103 

'"You've  been  sayin'  that  for  two  years,'  says  I. 

"He  stopped  an'  looked  at  me  sort  of  thoughtful 
an'  pityin'.  Then  he  steps  up  close  to  me  an' 
whispers  in  that  voice:  'D'you  know  who's  on 
Silent 's  trail  now?  Eh?' 

'"No,  an'  I  don't  give  a  damn,'  says  I,  free  an' 
careless. 

'"TexCalderFsayshe." 

Silent  started  violently,  and  his  hand  moved 
instinctively  to  his  six-gun. 

"Did  he  say  Tex  Calder?" 

"He  saM  no  less, "  answered  Shorty  Rhinehart, 
and  waited  to  see  his  news  take  effect.  Silent 
stood  with  head  bowed,  scowling. 

"Tex  Calder 's  a  fool,"  he  said  at  last.  "H« 
ought  to  know  better'n  to  take  to  my  trail." 

"He's  fast  with  his  gun,"  suggested  Shorty. 

' '  Don't  I  know  that  ? "  said  Silent.  ' '  If  Alvarez, 
an'  Bradley,  an'  Hunter,  an'  God  knows  how  many 
more  could  come  up  out  of  their  graves,  they'd 
tell  jest  how  quick  he  is  with  a  six-gun.  But  I'm 
the  one  man  on  the  range  that's  faster." 

Shorty  was  eloquently  mute. 

"I  ain't  askin'  you  to  take  my  word  for  it,"  said 
Jim  Silent.  "Now  that  he's  after  me,  I'm  glad  of 
it.  It  had  to  come  some  day.  The  mountains 
ain't  big  enough  for  both  of  us  to  go  rangin'  forever. 


104  The  Untamed 

We  had  to  lock  horns  some  day.  An'  I  say,  God 
help  Tex  Calder!" 

He  turned  abruptly  to  the  rest  of  the  men. 

"Boys,  I  got  somethin'  to  tell  you  that  Shorty 
jest  heard.  Tex  Calder  is  after  us." 

There  came  a  fluent  outburst  of  cursing. 

Silent  went  on :  "  I  know  jest  how  slick  Calder  is. 
I'm  bettin'  on  my  draw  to  be  jest  the  necessary 
half  a  hair  quicker.  He  may  dieshootin'.  I  don't 
lay  no  bets  that  I  c'n  nail  him  before  he  gets  his 
iron  out  of  its  leather,  but  I  say  he'll  be  shootin' 
blind  when  he  dies.  Is  there  any  one  takin'  that 
bet?" 

His  eyes  challenged  them  one  after  another. 
Their  glances  travelled  past  Silent  as  if  they  were 
telling  over  and  over  to  themselves  the  stories  of 
those  many  men  to  whom  Tex  Calder  had  played 
the  part  of  Fate.  The  leader  turned  back  to 
Shorty  Rhinehart. 

"Now  tell  me  what  he  had  to  say  about  the 
coin." 

' ' Hardy  says  the  shipment's  delayed.  He  don't 
know  how  long." 

"How'd  it  come  to  be  delayed?" 

"He  figures  that  Wells  Fargo  got  a  hunch  that 
Silent  was  layin'  for  the  train  that  was  to  carry  it." 

"Will  he  let  us  know  when  it  does  come  through  ?" 


The  Phantom  Rider  105 

"I  asked  him,  an'  he  jest  hedged.  He's  quitting 
on  us  cold." 

"I  was  a  fool  to  send  you,  Shorty.  I'm  goin' 
myself,  an' if  Hardy  don't  come  through  tome " 

He  broke  off  and  announced  to  the  rest  of  his 
gang  that  he  intended  to  make  the  journey  to 
Elkhead.  He  told  Haines,  who  in  such  cases 
usually  acted  as  lieutenant,  to  take  charge  of  the 
camp.  Then  he  saddled  his  roan. 

In  the  very  act  of  pulling  up  the  cinch  of  his 
saddle,  Silent  stopped  short,  turned,  and  raised 
a  hand  for  quiet.  The  rest  were  instantly  still. 
Hal  Purvis  leaned  his  weazened  face  towards  the 
ground.  In  this  manner  it  was  sometimes  possible 
to  detect  far-off  sounds  which  to  one  erect  would  be 
inaudible.  In  a  moment,  however,  he  straight 
ened  up,  shaking  his  head. 

"What  is  it?"  whispered  Haines. 

"Shut  up,  "  muttered  Silent,  and  the  words  were 
formed  by  the  motion  of  his  lips  rather  than 
through  any  sound.  "That  damned  whistling 
again." 

Every  face  changed.  At  a  rustling  in  a  near-by 
willow,  Terry  Jordan  started  and  then  cursed 
softly  to  himself.  That  broke  the  spell. 

"It's  the  whisperin'  of  the  willows,"  said 
Purvis. 


io6  The  Untamed 

"You  lie,"  said  Silent  hoarsely.  "I  hear  the 
sound  growing  closer." 

"Barry  is  dead,"  said  Haines. 

Silent  whipped  out  his  revolver — and  then 
shoved  it  back  into  the  holster. 

"Stand  by  me,  boys,"  he  pleaded.  "It's  his 
ghost  come  to  haunt  me!  You  can't  hear  it, 
because  he  ain't  come  for  you." 

They  stared  at  him  with  a  fascinated  horror. 

"How  do  you  know  it's  him?"  asked  Shorty 
Rhinehart. 

"There  ain't  no  sound  in  the  whole  world  like  it. 
It's  a  sort  of  cross  between  the  singing  of  a  bird 
an'  the  wailin'  of  the  wind.  It's  the  ghost  of 
Whistlin'  Dan." 

The  tall  roan  raised  his  head  and  whinnied 
softly.  It  was  an  unearthly  effect — as  if  the 
animal  heard  the  sound  which  was  inaudible  to 
all  but  his  master.  It  changed  big  Jim  Silent 
into  a  quavering  coward.  Here  were  five  prac 
tised  fighters  who  feared  nothing  between  heaven 
and  hell,  but  what  could  they  avail  him  against 
a  bodiless  spirit?  The  whistling  stopped.  He 
breathed  again,  but  only  for  a  moment. 

It  began  again,  and  this  time  much  louder  and 
nearer.  Surely  the  others  must  hear  it  now, 
or  else  it  was  certainly  a  ghost.  The  men  sat 


The  Phantom  Rider  107 

with  dilated  eyes  for  an  instant,  and  then  Hal 
Purvis  cried,  "I  heard  it,  chief!  If  it's  a  ghost, 
it's  hauntin'  me  too!" 

Silent  cursed  loudly  in  his  relief. 

"It  ain't  a  ghost.  It's  Whistlin'  Dan  himself. 
An'  Terry  Jordan  has  been  carryin'  us  lies!  What 
in  hell  do  you  mean  by  it?" 

"I  ain't  been  carryin'  you  lies,"  said  Jordan, 
hotly.  "  I  told  you  what  I  heard.  I  didn't  never 
say  that  there  was  any  one  seen  his  dead  body!" 

The  whistling  began  to  die  out.  A  babble  of 
conjecture  and  exclamation  broke  out,  but  Jim 
Silent,  still  sickly  white  around  the  mouth,  swung 
up  into  the  saddle. 

"That  Whistlin'  Dan  I'm  leavin'  to  you, 
Haines, "  he  called.  "I've  had  his  blood  onct,  an' 
if  I  meet  him  agin  there's  goin'  to  be  another  notch 
filed  into  my  shootin'  iron." 


CHAPTER  X 

THE    STRENGTH    OF   WOMEN 

HE  rode  swiftly  into  the  dark  of  the  willows,  and 
the  lack  of  noise  told  that  he  was  picking  his  way 
carefully  among  the  bended  branches. 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  Terry  Jordan,  "which 
I'm  not  suggestin'  anything — but  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  chief  was  in  a  considerable  hurry  to  leave 
the  camp." 

"He  was,"  said  Hal  Purvis,  "an'  if  you  seen 
that  play  in  Morgan's  place  you  wouldn't  be 
wonderin'  why.  If  I  was  the  chief  I'd  do  the 
same." 

"Me  speakin'  personal,"  remarked  Shorty 
Rhinehart,  "I  ain't  layin'  out  to  be  no  man-eater 
like  the  chief,  but  I  ain't  seen  the  man  that'd  make 
me  take  to  the  timbers  that  way.  I  don't  noways 
expect  there  is  such  a  man ! " 

"Shorty,"  said  Haines  calmly,  "we  all  knows 
that  you're  quite  a  man,  but  you  and  Terry  are  the 
only  ones  of  us  who  are  surprised  that  Silent  slid 

1 08 


The  Strength  of  Women          109 

away.  The  rest  of  us  who  saw  this  Whistling 
Dan  in  action  aren't  a  bit  inclined  to  wonder. 
Suppose  you  were  to  meet  a  black  panther  down 
here  in  the  willows?" 

"I  wouldn't  give  a  damn  if  I  had  my  Win 
chester  with  me. ' ' 

"All  right,  Terry,  but  suppose  the  panther," 
broke  in  Hal  Purvis,  "could  sling  shootin'  irons  as 
well  as  you  could — maybe  that'd  make  you  partic'- 
ler  pleased." 

"It  ain't  possible,"  said  Terry. 

"Sure  it  ain't,"  grinned  Purvis  amiably,  "an* 
this  Barry  ain't  possible,  either.  Where  you 
going,  Lee?" 

Haines  turned  from  his  task  of  saddling  his 
mount. 

"Private  matter.  Kilduff,  you  take  my  place 
while  I'm  gone.  I  may  be  back  tomorrow  night. 
The  chief  isn't  apt  to  return  so  soon." 

A  few  moments  later  Haines  galloped  out  of  the 
willows  and  headed  across  the  hills  towards  old 
Joe  Cumberland's  ranch.  He  was  remembering 
his  promise  to  Kate,  to  keep  Dan  out  of  danger. 
He  had  failed  from  that  promise  once,  but  that 
did  not  mean  that  he  had  forgotten.  He  looked 
up  to  the  yellow-bright  mountain  stars,  and  they 
were  like  the  eyes  of  good  women  smiling  down 


no  The  Untamed 

upon  him.  He  guessed  that  she  loved  Barry  and 
if  he  could  bring  her  to  Whistling  Dan  she  might 
have  strength  enough  to  take  the  latter  from 
Silent's  trail.  The  lone  rider  knew  well  enough 
that  to  bring  Dan  and  Kate  together  was  to  sur 
render  his  own  shadowy  hopes,  but  the  golden  eyes 
of  the  sky  encouraged  him.  So  he  followed  his 
impulse. 

Haines  could  never  walk  that  middle  path  which 
turns  neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left,  neither  up 
nor  down.  He  went  through  life  with  a  free- 
swinging  stride,  and  as  the  result  of  it  he  had 
crossed  the  rights  of  others.  He  might  have 
lived  a  lawful  life,  for  all  his  instincts  were  gentle. 
But  an  accident  placed  him  in  the  shadow  of  the 
law.  He  waited  for  his  legal  trial,  but  when  it 
came  and  false  witness  placed  him  behind  the  bars, 
the  revolt  came.  Two  days  after  his  confinement, 
he  broke  away  from  his  prison  and  went  to  the 
wilds.  There  he  found  Jim  Silent,  and  the 
mountain-desert  found  another  to  add  to  its  list  of 
great  outlaws. 

Morning  came  as  he  drew  close  to  the  house,  and 
now  his  reminiscences  were  cut  short,  for  at  a  turn 
of  the  road  he  came  upon  Kate  galloping  swiftly 
over  the  hills.  He  drew  his  horse  to  a  halt  and 
raised  his  hand.  She  followed  suit.  They  sat 


The  Strength  of  Women          1 1 1 

staring.  If  she  had  remembered  his  broken  pro 
mise  and  started  to  reproach,  he  could  have 
found  answer,  but  her  eyes  were  big  with  sorrow 
alone.  He  put  out  his  hand  without  a  word.  She 
hesitated  over  it,  her  eyes  questioning  him  mutely, 
and  then  with  the  ghost  of  a  smile  she  touched  his 
fingers. 

' '  I  want  to  explain, ' '  he  said  huskily. 

"What?" 

"You  remember  I  gave  you  my  word  that  no 
harm  would  come  to  Barry?" 

"No  man  could  have  helped  him." 

"You  don't  hold  it  against  me?" 

A  gust  of  wind  moaned  around  them.  She 
waved  her  arm  towards  the  surrounding  hills  and 
her  laugh  blended  with  the  sound  of  the  wind,  it 
was  so  faint.  He  watched  her  with  a  curious 
pang.  She  seemed  among  women  what  that 
morning  was  to  the  coming  day — fresh,  cool, 
aloof.  It  was  hard  to  speak  the  words  which 
would  banish  the  sorrow  from  her  eyes  and  make 
them  brilliant  with  hope  and  shut  him  away  from 
her  thoughts  with  a  barrier  higher  than  mountains, 
and  broader  than  seas. 

"I  have  brought  you  news,"  he  said  at  last, 
reluctantly. 

She  did  not  change. 


The  Untamed 


"About  Dan  Barry." 

Ay,  she  changed  swiftly  enough  at  that!  He 
could  not  meet  the  fear  and  question  of  her  glance. 
He  looked  away  and  saw  the  red  rim  of  the  sun 
pushing  up  above  the  hills.  And  colour  poured  up 
the  throat  of  Kate  Cumberland,  up  even  to  her 
forehead  beneath  the  blowing  golden  hair. 

Haines  jerked  his  sombrero  lower  on  his  head. 
A  curse  tumbled  up  to  his  lips  and  he  had  to  set 
his  teeth  to  keep  it  back. 

"But  I  have  heard  his  whistle." 

Her  lips  moved  but  made  no  sound. 

"Five  other  men  heard  him." 

She  cried  out  as  if  he  had  hurt  her,  but  the  hurt 
was  happiness.  He  knew  it  and  winced,  for  she  was 
wonderfully  beautiful. 

"In  the  willows  of  the  river  bottom,  a  good 
twenty  miles  south,"  he  said  at  last,  "and  I  will 
show  you  the  way,  if  you  wish." 

He  watched  her  eyes  grow  large  with  doubt. 

"Can  you  trust  me?"  he  asked.  "I  failed  you 
once.  Can  you  trust  me  now?" 

Her  hand  went  out  to  him. 

"With  all  my  heart,"  she  said.  "Let  us 
start!" 

"I've  given  my  horse  a  hard  ride.  He  must 
have  some  rest." 


The  Strength  of  Women          113 

She  moaned  softly  in  her  impatience,  and  then : 
"We'll  go  back  to  the  house  and  you  can  stable 
your  horse  there  until  you're  ready  to  start.  Dad 
will  go  with  us." 

"Your  father  cannot  go,  "  he  said  shortly. 

"Cannot?" 

"Let's  start  back  for  the  ranch,"  he  said,  "and 
I'll  tell  you  something  about  it  as  we  go.  " 

As  they  turned  their  horses  he  went  on:  "In 
order  that  you  may  reach  Whistling  Dan,  you'll 
have  to  meet  first  a  number  of  men  who  are  camp 
ing  down  there  in  the  willows." 

He  stopped.  It  became  desperately  difficult  for 
him  to  go  on. 

"I  am  one  of  those  men,"  he  said,  "and  an 
other  of  them  is  the  one  whom  Whistling  Dan  is 

• 
following." 

She  caught  her  breath  and  turned  abruptly  on 
him. 

"What  are  you,  Mr.  Lee?" 

Very  slowly  he  forced  his  eyes  up  to  meet  her 
gaze. 

"In  that  camp,"  he  answered  indirectly,  "your 
father  wouldn't  be  safe!" 

It  was  out  at  last ! 

"Then  you  are " 

"Your  friend." 


ii4  The  Untamed 

' '  Forgive  me.     You  are  my  friend ! ' ' 

"The  man  whom  Dan  is  following,"  he  went  on, 
"is  the  leader.  If  he  gives  the  command  four 
practised  fighters  pit  themselves  against  Barry." 

"It  is  murder!" 

"You  can  prevent  it,"  he  said.  "They  know 
Barry  is  on  the  trail,  but  I  think  they  will  do 
nothing  unless  he  forces  them  into  trouble.  And 
he  will  force  them  unless  you  stop  him.  No  other 
human  being  could  take  him  off  that  trail." 

"I  know!  I  know!"  she  muttered.  "But  I 
have  already  tried,  and  he  will  not  listen  to  me! " 

"But  he  will  listen  to  you,"  insisted  Haines, 
"when  you  tell  him  that  he  will  be  fighting  not 
one  man,  but  six." 

"And  if  he  doesn't  listen  to  me?" 

Haines  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

' '  Can't  you  promise  that  these  men  will  not  fight 
with  him?" 

"I  cannot." 

"But  I  shall  plead  with  them  myself." 

He  turned  to  her  in  alarm. 

"No,  you  must  not  let  them  dream  you  know 
who  they  are,"  he  warned,  "for  otherwise ' 

Again  that  significant  shrug  of  the  shoulders. 

He  explained:  "These  men  are  in  such  danger 
that  they  dare  not  take  chances.  You  are  a 


The  Strength  of  Women          115 

woman,  but  if  they  feel  that  you  suspect  them  you 
will  no  longer  be  a  woman  in  their  eyes." 

' "'  Then  what  must  I  do  ? " 

' '  I  shall  ride  ahead  of  you  when  we  come  to  the 
willows,  after  I  have  pointed  out  the  position  of 
our  camp.  About  an  hour  after  I  have  arrived, 
for  they  must  not  know  that  I  have  brought  you, 
you  will  ride  down  towards  the  camp.  When  you 
come  to  it  I  will  make  sure  that  it  is  I  who  will 
bring  you  in.  You  must  pretend  that  you  have 
simply  blundered  upon  our  fire.  Whatever  you 
do,  never  ask  a  question  while  you  are  there — and 
I'll  be  your  warrant  that  you  will  come  off  safely. 
Will  you  try?" 

He  attempted  no  further  persuasion  and  con 
tented  himself  with  merely  meeting  the  wistful 
challenge  of  her  eyes. 

"I  will,"  she  said  at  last,  and  then  turning 
her  glance  away  she  repeated  softly,  "I  will." 

He  knew  that  she  was  already  rehearsing  what 
she  must  say  to  Whistling  Dan. 

"You  are  not  afraid?" 

She  smiled. 

"Do  you  really  trust  me  as  far  as  this?" 

With  level-eyed  tenderness  that  took  his 
breath,  she  answered:  "An  absolute  trust,  Mr. 
Lee." 


u6  The  Untamed 

"My  name,"  he  said  in  a  strange  voice,  "is 
Lee  Haines." 

Of  one  accord  they  stopped  their  horses  and 
their  hands  met. 


CHAPTER  XI 

SILENT  BLUFFS 

THE  coming  of  the  railroad  had  changed  Elk- 
head  from  a  mere  crossing  of  the  ways  to  a  rather 
important  cattle  shipping  point.  Once  a  year  it 
became  a  bustling  town  whose  two  streets  thronged 
with  cattlemen  with  pockets  burdened  with  gold 
which  fairly  burned  its  way  out  to  the  open  air. 
At  other  times  Elkhead  dropped  back  into  a 
leaden-eyed  sleep. 

The  most  important  citizen  was  Lee  Hardy,  the 
Wells  Fargo  agent.  Office  jobs  are  hard  to  find 
in  the  mountain-desert,  and  those  who  hold  them 
win  respect.  The  owner  of  a  swivel-chair  is 
more  lordly  than  the  possessor  of  five  thousand 
"doggies."  Lee  Hardy  had  such  a  swivel-chair. 
Moreover,  since  large  shipments  of  cash  were  often 
directed  by  Wells  Fargo  to  Elkhead,  Hardy's 
position  was  really  more  significant  than  the  size 
of  the  village  suggested.  As  a  crowning  stamp 
upon  his  dignity  he  had  a  clerk  who  handled 

117 


n8  The  Untamed 

the  ordinary  routine  of  work  in  the  front  room, 
while  Hardy  set  himself  up  in  state  in  a  little 
rear  office  whose  walls  were  decorated  by  two  bril 
liant  calendars  and  the  coloured  photograph  of  a 
blond  beauty  advertising  a  toilet  soap. 

To  this  sanctuary  he  retreated  during  the  heat 
of  the  day,  while  in  the  morning  and  evening  he  loi 
tered  on  the  small  porch,  chatting  with  passers-by. 
Except  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  year  he  affected 
a  soft  white  collar  with  a  permanent  bow  tie. 
The  leanness  of  his  features,  and  his  crooked  neck 
with  the  prominent  Adam's  apple  which  stirred 
when  he  spoke,  suggested  a  Yankee  ancestry,  but 
the  faded  blue  eyes,  pathetically  misted,  could  only 
be  found  in  the  mountain-desert. 

One  morning  into  the  inner  sanctum  of  this  dig 
nitary  stepped  a  man  built  in  rectangles,  a  square 
face,  square,  ponderous  shoulders,  and  even  square- 
tipped  fingers.  Into  the  smiling  haze  of  Hardy's 
face  his  own  keen  black  eye  sparkled  like  an 
electric  lantern  flashed  into  a  dark  room.  He  was 
dressed  in  the  cowboy's  costume,  but  there  was  no 
Western  languor  in  his  make-up.  Everything 
about  him  was  clear  cut  and  precise.  He  had  a 
habit  of  clicking  his  teeth  as  he  finished  a  sentence. 
In  a  word,  when  he  appeared  in  the  doorway  Lee 
Hardy  woke  up,  and  before  the  stranger  had 


Silent  Bluffs  119 

spoken  a  dozen  words  the  agent  was  leaning 
forward  to  be  sure  that  he  would  not  miss  a 
syllable. 

"You're  Lee  Hardy,  aren't  you?"  said  he,  and 
his  eyes  gave  the  impression  of  a  smile,  though 
his  lips  did  not  stir  after  speaking. 

"I  am,"  said  the  agent. 

"Then  you're  the  man  I  want  to  see.  If  you 
don't  mind — 

He  closed  the  door,  pulled  a  chair  against  it, 
and  then  sat  down,  and  folded  his  arms.  Very 
obviously  he  meant  business.  Hardy  switched  his 
position  in  his  chair,  sitting  a  little  more  to  the 
right,  so  that  the  edge  of  the  seat  would  not  ob 
struct  the  movement  of  his  hand  towards  the  hol 
ster  on  his  right  thigh. 

"Well,  "  he  said  good  naturedly,  "I'm  waitin'. " 

"Good,"  said  the  stranger,  "I  won't  keep  you 
here  any  longer  than  is  necessary.  In  the  first 
place  my  name  is  Tex  Calder." 

Hardy  changed  as  if  a  slight  layer  of  dust  had 
been  sifted  over  his  face.  He  stretched  out  his 
hand. 

"It's  great  to  see  you,  Calder,"  he  said,  "of 
course  I've  heard  about  you.  Everyone  has. 
Here!  I'll  send  over  to  the  saloon  for  some  red 
eye.  Are  you  dry?" 


120  The  Untamed 

He  rose,  but  Calder  waved  him  back  to  the 
swivel-chair. 

"Not  dry  a  bit,"  he  said  cheerily.  "Not  five 
minutes  ago  I  had  a  drink  of — water." 

"All  right,"  said  Hardy,  and  settled  back  into 
his  chair. 

"Hardy,  there's  been  crooked  work  around 
here." 

"Whatinhell- 

"Get  your  hand  away  from  that  gun,  friend." 

"What  the  devil's  the  meaning  of  all 
this?" 

"That's  very  well  done,"  said  Calder.  "But 
this  isn't  the  stage.  Are  we  going  to  talk  business 
like  friends?" 

"I've  got  nothing  agin  you,"  said  Hardy  testily, 
and  his  eyes  followed  Calder's  right  hand  as  if 
fascinated.  "What  do  you  want  to  say?  I'll 
listen.  I'm  not  very  busy." 

"That's  exactly  it,"  smiled  Tex  Calder,  "I  want 
you  to  get  busier.  " 

"Thanks." 

"In  the  first  place  I'll  be  straight  with  you. 
Wells  Fargo  hasn't  sent  me  here." 

"Who  has?" 

"My  conscience." 

"I  don't  get  your  drift." 


Silent  Bluffs  121 

Through  a  moment  of  pause  Calder's  eyes 
searched  the  face  of  Hardy. 

"You've  been  pretty  flush  for  some  time," 

"I  ain't  been  starvin'." 

' '  There  are  several  easy  ways  for  you  to  pick  up 
extra  money." 

"Yes?" 

"For  instance,  you  know  all  about  the  Wells 
Fargo  money  shipments,  and  there  are  men  around 
here  who'd  pay  big  for  what  you  could  tell  them.  " 

The  prominent  Adam's  apple  rose  and  fell  in 
Hardy's  throat. 

"You're  quite  a  joker,  ain't  you  Calder?  Who, 
for  instance?" 

"Jim  Silent." 

"This  is  like  a  story  in  a  book,  "  grinned  Hardy. 
"Go  on.  I  suppose  I've  been  takin'  Silent's 
money?" 

The  answer  came  like  the  click  of  a  cocked  re 
volver. 

"You  have!" 

"By  God,  Calder " 

"Steady!  I  have  some  promising  evidence, 
partner.  Would  you  like  to  hear  part  of  it  ? " 

"This  country  has  its  share  of  the  world's 
greatest  liars,"  said  Hardy,  "I  don't  care  what 
you've  heard." 


122  The  Untamed 

"That  saves  my  time.  Understand  me  straight. 
I  can  slap  you  into  a  lock-up,  if  I  want  to,  and  then 
bring  in  that  evidence.  I'm  not  going  to  do  it. 
I'm  going  to  use  you  as  a  trap  and  through  you 
get  some  of  the  worst  of  the  lone  riders." 

"There's  nothin'  like  puttin'  your  hand  on  the 
table." 

"No,  there  isn't.  I'll  tell  you  what  you're  to 
do." 

"Thanks." 

The  marshal  drove  straight  on. 

"I've  got  four  good  men  in  this  town.  Two  of 
them  will  always  be  hanging  around  your  office. 
Maybe  you  can  get  a  job  for  them  here,  eh?  I'll 
pay  the  salaries.  You  simply  tip  them  off  when 
your  visitors  are  riders  the  government  wants,  see? 
You  don't  have  to  lift  a  hand.  You  just  go  to  the 
door  as  the  visitor  leaves,  and  if  he's  all  right  you 
say:  'So  long,  we'll  be  meeting  again  before  long.' 
But  if  he's  a  man  I  want,  you  say  'Good-bye.' 
That's  all.  My  boys  will  see  that  it  is  good-bye.  " 

"Go  on,"  said  the  agent,  "and  tell  the  rest  of 
the  story.  It  starts  well." 

"Doesn't  it?"  agreed  Calder,  "and  the  way  it 
concludes  is  with  you  reaching  over  and  shaking 
hands  with  me  and  saying  'yes' !" 

He    leaned    forward.     The   twinkle   was   gone 


Silent  Bluffs  123 

from  his  eyes  and  he  extended  his  hand  to  Hardy. 
The  latter  reached  out  with  an  impulsive  gesture, 
wrung  the  proffered  hand,  and  then  slipping 
back  into  his  chair  broke  into  hysterical  laughter. 

"The  real  laugh,"  said  Calder,  watching  his 
man  narrowly,  "will  be  on  the  long  riders." 

"Tex,"  said  the  agent.  "I  guess  you  have  the 
dope.  I  won't  say  anything  except  that  I'm 
glad  as  hell  to  be  out  of  the  rotten  business  at  last. 
Once  started  I  couldn't  stop.  I  did  one  'favour' 
for  these  devils,  and  after  that  they  had  me  in  their 
power.  I  haven't  slept  for  months  as  I'm  going  to 
sleep  tonight!" 

He  wiped  his  face  with  an  agitated  hand. 

"A  week  ago,  "  he  went  on,  "I  knew  you  were 
detailed  on  this  work.  I've  been  sweating  ever 
since.  Now  that  you've  come — why,  I'm  glad  of 
it!" 

A  faint  sneer  touched  Calder's  mouth  and  was 
gone. 

' '  You're  a  wise  man, ' '  he  said.  ' '  Have  you  seen 
much  of  Jim  Silent  lately?" 

Hardy  hesitated.     The  role  of  informer  was  new. 

"Not  directly." 

Calder  nodded. 

"Now  put  me  right  if  I  go  off  the  track.  The 
way  I  understand  it,  Jim  Silent  has  about  twenty 


124  The  Untamed 

gun  fighters  and  long  riders  working  in  gangs  under 
him  and  combining  for  big  jcbs. ' ' 

"That's  about  it." 

"The  inside  circle  consists  of  Silent;  Lee  Haines, 
a  man  who  went  wrong  because  the  law  did  him 
wrong;  Hal  Purvis,  a  cunning  devil;  and  Bill  Kil- 
duff,  a  born  fighter  who  loves  blood  for  its  own 
sake." 

"Right." 

"Here's  something  more.  For  Jim  Silent,  dead 
or  alive,  the  government  will  pay  ten  thousand 
dollars.  For  each  of  the  other  three  it  pays  five 
thousand.  The  notices  aren't  out  yet,  but  they 
will  be  in  a  few  days.  Hardy,  if  you  help  me  bag 
these  men,  you'll  get  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  profits. 
Are  you  on?" 

The  hesitancy  of  Hardy  changed  to  downright 
enthusiasm. 

"Easy  money,  Tex.  I'm  your  man,  hand  and 
glove." 

"Don't  get  optimistic.  This  game  isn't  played 
yet,  and  unless  I  make  the  biggest  mistake  of  my 
life  we'll  be  guessing  again  before  we  land  Silent. 
I've  trailed  some  fast  gunmen  in  my  day,  and  I 
have  an  idea  that  Silent  will  be  the  hardest  of  the 
lot ;  but  if  you  play  your  end  of  the  game  we  may 
land  him.  I  have  a  tip  that  he's  lying  out  in  the 


Silent  Bluffs  125 

country  near  Elkhead.  I'm  riding  out  alone  to 
get  track  of  him.  As  I  go  out  I'll  tell  my  men  that 
you're  O.K.  for  this  business." 

He  hesitated  a  moment  with  his  hand  on  the 
door  knob. 

"Just  one  thing  more,  Hardy.  I  heard  a  queer 
tale  this  morning  about  a  fight  in  a  saloon  run  by 
a  man  named  Morgan.  Do  you  know  anything 
about  it?" 

"No." 

"I  was  told  of  a  fellow  who  chipped  four  dollars 
thrown  into  the  air  at  twenty  yards." 

"That's  a  lie." 

"The  man  who  talked  to  me  had  a  nicked  dollar 
to  prove  his  yarn." 

"The  devil  he  did!" 

"And  after  the  shooting  this  chap  got  into  a 
fight  with  a  tall  man  twice  his  size  and  fairly 
mopped  up  the  floor  with  him.  They  say  it 
wasn't  a  nice  thing  to  watch.  He  is  a  frail  man, 
but  when  the  fight  started  he  turned  into  a  tiger. " 

"Wish  I'd  seen  it." 

"The  tall  man  tallies  to  a  hair  with  my  descrip 
tion  of  Silent." 

"You're  wrong.  I  know  what  Silent  can  do 
with  his  hands.  No  one  could  beat  him  up. 
What's  the  name  of  the  other?" 


126  The  Untamed 

"Barry.     Whistling  Dan  Barry." 

Calder  hesitated. 

"Right  or  wrong,  I'd  like  to  have  this  Barry 
with  me.  So  long." 

He  was  gone  as  he  had  come,  with  a  nod  and  a 
flash  of  the  keen,  black  eyes.  Lee  Hardy  stared  at 
the  door  for  some  moments,  and  then  went  outside. 
The  warm  light  of  the  sun  had  never  been  more 
welcome  to  him.  Under  that  cheering  influence 
he  began  to  feel  that  with  Tex  Calder  behind  him 
he  could  safely  defy  the  world. 

His  confidence  received  a  shock  that  afternoon 
when  a  heavy  step  crossed  the  outside  room,  and 
his  door  opening  without  a  preliminary  knock,  he 
looked  up  into  the  solemn  eyes  of  Jim  Silent. 
The  outlaw  shook  his  head  when  Hardy  offered 
him  a  chair. 

"What's  the  main  idea  of  them  two  new  men  out 
in  your  front  room,  Lee?"  he  asked. 

"Two  cowpunchers  that  was  down  on  their 
luck.  I  got  to  stand  in  with  the  boys  now  and 
then." 

"I  s'pose  so.  Shorty  Rhin chart  in  here  to  see 
you,  Lee?" 

"Yep." 

"You  told  him  that  the  town  was  gettin'  pretty 
hot." 


Silent  Bluffs  127 

"It  is." 

"You  said  you  had  no  dope  on  when  that 
delayed  shipment  was  comin'  through?" 

Hardy  made  lightning  calculations.  A  half 
truth  would  be  the  best  way  out. 

"I've  just  got  the  word  you  want.  It  come 
this  morning." 

Silent 's  expression  changed  and  he  leaned  a  little 
closer. 

' '  It's  the  nineteenth.  Train  number  89.  Savvy  > 
Seven  o'clock  at  Elkhead!" 

"How  much?     Same  bunch  of  coin ?" 

"Fifty  thousand!" 

"That's  ten  more." 

"Yep.  A  new  shipment  rolled  in  with  the  old 
one.  No  objections?" 

Silent  grinned. 

"Any  other  news,  Lee?" 

"Shorty  told  you  about  Tex  Calder?" 

"He  did.     Seen  him  around  here ?" 

The  slightest  fraction  of  a  second  in  hesitation. 

"No." 

"Was  that  the  straight  dope  you  give  Shorty?" 

"Straighter'n  hell.  They're  beginnin'  to  talk, 
but  I  guess  I  was  jest  sort  of  panicky  when  I  talked 
with  Shorty." 

"This  Tex  Calder " 


128  The  Untamed 

"What  about  him?"  This  with  a  trace  of 
suspicion. 

"He's  got  a  long  record." 

"So'veyou,  Jim." 

Once  more  that  wolflike  grin  which  had  no  mirth. 

"So  long,  Lee.  I'll  be  on  the  job.  Lay  to 
that." 

He  turned  towards  the  door.  Hardy  followed 
him.  A  moment  more,  in  a  single  word,  and  the 
job  would  be  done.  Five  thousand  dollars  for  a 
single  word!  It  warmed  the  very  heart  of  Lee 
Hardy. 

Silent,  as  he  moved  away,  seemed  singularly 
thoughtful.  He  hesitated  a  moment  with  bowed 
head  at  the  door — then  whirled  and  shoved  a  six- 
gun  under  the  nose  of  Hardy.  The  latter  leaped 
back  with  his  arms  thrust  above  his  head,  straining 
at  his  hands  to  get  them  higher. 

"My  God,  Jim!" 

"You're  a  low-down,  lyin'  hound!" 

Hardy's  tongue  clove  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth. 

"Damn  you,  d'you  hear  me?" 

"Yes!    For  God's  sake,  Jim,  don't  shoot!" 

"  Your  life  ain't  worth  a  dime! " 

"  Give  me  one  more  chance  an'  I'll  play  square!'* 

A  swift  change  came  over  the  face  of  Silent, 
and  then  Hardy  went  hot  with  terror  and  anger. 


Silent  Bluffs  129 

The  long  rider  had  known  nothing.  The  gun 
play  had  been  a  mere  bluff,  but  he  had  played 
into  the  hands  of  Silent,  and  now  his  life  was  truly 
worth  nothing. 

"You  poor  fool,"  went  on  Silent,  his  voice 
purring  with  controlled  rage.  "You  damn  blind 
fool!  D'you  think  you  could  double  cross  me  an' 
get  by  with  it?" 

' '  Give  me  a  chance,  Jim.  One  more  chance,  one 
more  chance ! ' ' 

Even  in  his  terror  he  remembered  to  keep  his 
voice  low  lest  those  in  the  front  room  should 
hear. 

"Out  with  it,  if  you  love  livin'!" 

"I — I  can't  talk  while  you  got  that  gun  on  me!" 

Silent  not  only  lowered  his  gun,  but  actually 
returned  it  to  the  holster.  Nothing  could  more 
clearly  indicate  his  contempt,  and  Hardy,  in  spite 
of  his  fear,  crimsoned  with  shame. 

"It  was  Tex  Calder,"  he  said  at  last. 

Silent  started  a  little  and  his  eyes  narrowed 
again. 

"What  of  him?" 

"He  came  here  a  while  ago  an'  tried  to  make  a 
deal  with  me." 

"An*  made  it!"  said  Silent  ominously. 

No  gun  pointed  at  him  this  time,  but  Hardy 


130  The  Untamed 

jerked  his  hands  once  more  above  his  head  and 
cowered  against  the  wall. 

"So  help  me  God  he  didn't,  Jim." 

"Get  your  hands  down." 

He  lowered  his  hands  slowly. 

"I  told  him  I  didn't  know  nothin'  about  you." 

"What  about  that  train?  What  about  that 
shipment  ? ' ' 

"It's  jest  the  way  I  told  you,  except  that  it's 
on  the  eighteenth  instead  of  the  nineteenth." 

"I'm  goin'  to  believe  you.  If  you  double  cross 
me  I'll  have  your  hide.  Maybe  they'll  get  me,  but 
there'll  be  enough  of  my  boys  left  to  get  you. 
You  can  lay  to  that.  How  much  did  they  offer  you, 
Lee?  How  much  am  I  worth  to  the  little  old 
U.  S.  A.?" 

' '  I — I — it  wasn ' t  the  money .  I  was  afraid  to  stick 
with  my  game  any  longer." 

The  long  rider  had  already  turned  towards  the 
door,  making  no  effort  to  keep  his  face  to  the  agent. 
The  latter,  flushing  again,  moved  his  hand  towards 
his  hip,  but  stopped  the  movement.  The  last 
threat  of  Silent  carried  a  deep  conviction  with  it. 
He  knew  that  the  faith  of  lone  riders  to  each  other 
was  an  inviolable  bond.  Accordingly  he  followed 
\t  the  heels  of  the  other  man  into  the  outside  room. 

"So  long,  old  timer,"  he  called,  slapping  Silent 


Silent  Bluffs  131 

on  the  shoulder,   "I'll  be  seein'  you  agin  before 
long." 

Calder's  men  looked  up  with  curious  eyes. 
Hardy  watched  Silent  swing  onto  his  horse  and 
gallop  down  the  street.  Then  he  went  hurriedly 
back  to  his  office.  Once  insid-  he  dropped  into 
the  big  swivel-chair,  buried  his  face  in  his  arms,  and 
wept  like  a  child. 


CHAPTER  XII 

PARTNERS 

DUST  powdered  his  hat  and  clothes  as  Tex 
Calder  trotted  his  horse  north  across  the  hills. 
His  face  was  a  sickly  grey,  and  his  black  hair  might 
have  been  an  eighteenth  century  wig,  so  thoroughly 
was  it  disguised .  It  had  been  a  long  ride.  Many 
a  long  mile  wound  back  behind  him,  and  still  the 
cattle  pony,  with  hanging  head,  stuck  to  its  task. 
Now  he  was  drawing  out  on  a  highland,  and  below 
him  stretched  the  light  yellow-green  of  the  willows 
of  the  bottom  land.  He  halted  his  pony  and 
swung  a  leg  over  the  horn  of  his  saddle.  Then  he 
rolled  a  cigarette,  and  while  he  inhaled  it  in  long 
puffs  he  scanned  the  trees  narrowly.  Miles  across, 
and  stretching  east  and  west  farther  than  his  eye 
could  reach,  extended  the  willows.  Somewhere  in 
that  wilderness  was  the  gang  of  Jim  Silent.  An 
army  corps  might  have  been  easily  concealed  there. 

If  he  was  not  utterly  discouraged  in  the  begin 
ning  of  his  search,  it  was  merely  because  the  rang- 

132 


Partners  133 

ers  of  the  hills  and  plains  are  taught  patience 
almost  as  soon  as  they  learn  to  ride  a  horse.  He 
surveyed  the  yellow-green  forest  calmly.  In  the 
west  the  low  hanging  sun  turned  crimson  and 
bulged  at  the  sides  into  a  clumsy  elipse.  He 
started  down  the  slope  at  the  same  dog-trot  which 
the  pony  had  kept  up  all  day.  Just  before  he 
reached  the  skirts  of  the  trees  he  brought  his 
horse  to  a  sudden  halt  and  threw  back  his  head. 
It  seemed  to  him  that  he  heard  a  faint  whistling. 

He  could  not  be  sure.  It  was  so  far  off  and 
unlike  any  whistling  he  had  ever  heard  before, 
that  he  half  guessed  it  to  be  the  movement  of  a 
breeze  through  the  willows,  but  the  wind  was 
hardly  strong  enough  to  make  this  sound.  For 
a  full  five  minutes  he  listened  without  moving  his 
horse.  Then  came  the  thing  for  which  he  waited, 
a  phrase  of  melody  undoubtedly  from  human  lips. 

What  puzzled  him  most  was  the  nature  of  the 
music.  As  he  rode  closer  to  the  trees  it  grew 
clearer.  It  was  unlike  any  song  he  had  ever  heard. 
It  was  a  strange  improvisation  with  a  touch  of 
both  melancholy  and  savage  exultation  running 
through  it.  Calder  found  himself  nodding  in 
sympathy  with  the  irregular  rhythm. 

It  grew  so  clear  at  last  that  he  marked  with  some 
accuracy  the  direction  from  which  it  came.  If  this 


134  The  Untamed 

was  Silent's  camp,  it  must  be  strongly  guarded, 
and  he  should  approach  the  place  more  cautiously 
than  he  could  possibly  do  on  a  horse.  Accordingly 
he  dismounted,  threw  the  reins  over  the  pony's 
head,  and  started  on  through  the  Mallows.  The 
whistling  became  louder  and  louder.  He  moved 
stealthily  from  tree  to  tree,  for  he  had  not  the  least 
idea  when  he  would  run  across  a  guard.  The 
whistling  ceased,  but  the  marshal  was  now  so  near 
that  he  could  follow  the  original  direction  without 
much  trouble.  In  a  few  moments  he  might  dis 
tinguish  the  sound  of  voices.  If  there  were  two 
or  three  men  in  the  camp  he  might  be  able  to  sur 
prise  them  and  make  his  arrest.  If  the  outlaws 
were  many,  at  least  he  could  lie  low  near  the  camp 
and  perhaps  learn  the  plans  of  the  gang.  He  worked 
his  way  forward  more  and  more  carefully.  At  one 
place  he  thought  a  shadowy  figure  slipped  through 
the  brush  a  short  distance  away.  He  poised  his 
gun,  but  lowered  it  again  after  a  moment's  thought. 
It  must  have  been  a  stir  of  shadows.  No  human 
being  could  move  so  swiftly  or  so  noiselessly. 

Nevertheless  the  sight  gave  him  such  a  start 
that  he  proceeded  with  even  greater  caution. 
He  was  crouched  close  to  the  ground.  Every  inch 
of  it  he  scanned  carefully  before  he  set  down  a  foot, 
fearful  of  the  cracking  of  a  fallen  twig.  Like 


Partners  135 

most  men  when  they  hunt,  he  began  to  feel  that 
something  followed  him.  He  tried  to  argue 
the  thought  out  of  his  brain,  but  it  persisted,  and 
grew  stronger.  Half  a  dozen  times  he  whirled 
suddenly  with  his  re"olver  poised.  At  las  he 
heard  a  stamp  which  could  come  irom  nothing  but 
the  hoof  of  a  horse.  The  sound  dispelled  his  fears. 
In  another  moment  he  would  be  in  sight  of  the 
camp. 

"Do  you  figger  you'll  find  it?"  asked  a  quiet 
voice  behind  him. 

He  turned  and  looked  into  the  steady  muzzle  of 
a  Colt.  Behind  that  revolver  was  a  thin,  hand 
some  face  with  a  lock  of  jet  black  hair  falling  over 
the  forehead.  Calder  knew  men,  and  now  he  felt 
a  strange  absence  of  any  desire  to  attempt  a  gun 
play. 

"I  was  just  taking  a  stroll  through  the  willows," 
he  said,  with  a  mighty  attempt  at  carelessness. 

"Oh,"  said  the  other.  "It  appeared  to  me 
you  was  sort  of  huntin'  for  something.  You  was 
headed  straight  for  my  hoss." 

Calder  strove  to  find  some  way  out.  He  could 
not.  There  was  no  waver  in  the  hand  that  held 
that  black  gun.  The  brown  eyes  were  decidedly 
discouraging  to  any  attempt  at  a  surprise.  He  felt 
helpless  for  the  first  time  in  his  career. 


136  The  Untamed 

"Go  over  to  him,  Bart,  "  said  the  gentle  voice  of 
the  stranger.  ' '  Stand  fast ! ' ' 

The  last  two  words,  directed  to  Calder  came, 
with  a  metallic  hardness,  for  the  marshal  started 
as  a  great  black  dog  slipped  from  behind  a  tree 
and  slunk  towards  him.  This  was  the  shadow 
which  moved  more  swiftly  and  noiselessly  than  a 
human  being. 

"Keep  back  that  damned  wolf,"  he  said  des 
perately. 

"He  ain't  goin'  to  hurt  you,"  said  the  cairn 
voice.  "Jest  toss  your  gun  to  the  ground." 

There  was  nothing  else  for  it.  Calder  dropped 
his  weapon  with  the  butt  towards  Whistling  Dan. 

' '  Bring  it  here,  Bart, ' '  said  the  latter. 

The  big  animal  lowered  his  head,  still  keeping 
his  green  eyes  upon  Calder,  took  up  the  revolver 
in  his  white  fangs,  and  glided  back  to  his  master. 

"Jest  turn  your  back  to  me,  an'  keep  your 
hands  clear  of  your  body, "  said  Dan. 

Calder  obeyed,  sweating  with  shame.  He  felt  a 
hand  pat  his  pockets  lightly  in  search  for  a  hidden 
weapon,  and  then,  with  his  head  slightly  turned, 
he  sensed  the  fact  that  Dan  was  dropping  his 
revolver  into  its  holster.  He  whirled  and  drove 
his  clenched  fist  straight  at  Dan's  face. 

What  happened  then  he  would  never  forget  to 


Partners  137 

the  end  of  his  life.  Calder's  weapon  still  hung  in 
Dan's  right  hand,  but  the  latter  made  no  effort  to 
use  it.  He  dropped  the  gun,  and  as  Calder's  right 
arm  shot  out,  it  was  caught  at  the  wrist,  and  jerked 
down  with  a  force  that  jarred  his  whole  body. 

"Down,  Bart!"  shouted  Dan.  The  great  wolf 
checked  in  the  midst  of  his  leap  and  dropped, 
whining  with  eagerness,  at  Calder's  feet.  At  the 
same  time  the  marshal's  left  hand  was  seized  and 
whipped  across  his  body.  He  wrenched  away  with 
all  his  force.  He  might  as  well  have  struggled  with 
steel  manacles.  He  was  helpless,  staring  into  eyes 
which  now  glinted  with  a  yellow  light  that  sent  a 
cold  wave  tingling  through  his  blood. 

The  yellow  gleam  died;  his  hands  were  loosed; 
but  he  made  no  move  to  spring  at  Dan's  throat. 
Chill  horror  had  taken  the  place  of  his  shame,  and 
the  wolf-dog  still  whined  at  his  feet  with  lips 
grinned  back  from  the  long  white  teeth. 

"Who  in  the  name  of  God  are  you?"  he  gasped, 
and  even  as  he  spoke  the  truth  came  to  him — 
the  whistling — the  panther-like  speed  of  hand — 
"Whistling  Dan  Barry." 

The  other  frowned. 

"If  you  didn't  know  my  name  why  were  you 
trailin'  me?" 

"I  wasn't  after  you,"  said  Calder. 


138  The  Untamed 

"You  was  crawlin'  along  like  that  jest  for  fun> 
Friend,  I  figger  to  know  you.  You  been  sent  out 
by  the  tall  man  to  lay  for  me." 

"What  tall  man?"  asked  Calder,  his  wits 
groping. 

"The  one  that  swung  the  chair  in  Morgan's 
place,"  said  Dan.  "Now  you're  goin'  to  take  me 
to  your  camp.  I  got  something  to  say  to  him." 

"By  the  Lord!"  cried  the  marshal,  "you're 
trailing  Silent." 

Dan  watched  him  narrowly.  It  was  hard  to 
accuse  those  keen  black  eyes  of  deceit. 

"I'm  trailin'  the  man  who  sent  you  out  after 
me,"  he  asserted  with  a  little  less  assurance. 

Calder  tore  open  the  front  of  his  shirt  and 
pushed  back  one  side  of  it.  Pinned  there  next 
to  his  skin  was  his  marshal's  badge. 

He  said:  "My  name's  Tex  Calder." 

It  was  a  word  to  conjure  with  up  and  down 
the  vast  expanse  of  the  mountain-desert.  Dan 
smiled,  and  the  change  of  expression  made  him 
seem  ten  years  younger. 

"Git  down,  Bart.  Stand  behind  me!"  The 
dog  obeyed  sullenly.  "I've  heard  a  pile  of  men 
talk  about  you,  Tex  Calder."  Their  hands  and 
their  eyes  met.  There  was  a  mutual  respect  in 
the  glances.  "An*  I'm  a  pile  sorry  for  this." 


Partners  139 

He  picked  up  the  gun  from  the  ground  and 
extended  it  butt  first  to  the  marshal,  who  restored 
it  slowly  to  the  holster.  It  was  the  first  time  it 
had  ever  been  forced  from  his  grasp. 

"Who  was  it  you  talked  about  a  while  ago?" 
asked  Dan. 

"Jim  Silent." 

Dan  instinctively  dropped  his  hand  back  to  his 
revolver. 

"The  tall  man?" 

"The  one  you  fought  with  in  Morgan's  place." 

The  unpleasant  gleam  returned  to  Dan's  eyes. 

"I  thought  there  was  only  one  reason  why  he 
should  die,  but  now  I  see  there's  a  heap  of  'em." 

Calder  was  all  business. 

"How  long  have  you  been  here?"  he  asked. 

"About  a  day." 

"Have  you  seen  anything  of  Silent  here  among 
the  willows?" 

"No." 

"Do  you  think  he's  still  here?" 

"Yes." 

"Why?" 

"I  dunno.  I'll  stay  here  till  I  find  him  among 
the  trees  or  he  breaks  away  into  the  open." 

"How '11  you  know  when  he  leaves  the  willows? " 

Whistling  Dan  was  puzzled. 


142  The  Untamed 

but  checked  himself  at  the  very  instant  of  firing, 
The  master  of  the  two  animals  stood  with  arms 
folded,  actually  smiling  upon  the  fight ! 

"For  God's  sake!"  cried  the  marshal.  "Shoot 
the  damned  wolf,  man,  or  he'll  have  your  horse  by 
the  throat!" 

"Leave  'em  be,"  said  Dan,  without  turning  his 
head.  "Satan  an'  Black  Bart  ain't  got  any  other 
dogs  an'  hosses  to  run  around  with.  They's  jest 
playing  a  little  by  way  of  exercise." 

Calder  stood  agape  before  what  seemed  the 
incarnate  fury  of  the  pair.  Then  he  noticed  that 
those  snapping  fangs,  however  close  they  came, 
always  missed  the  flesh  of  the  stallion,  and  the 
driving  hoofs  never  actually  endangered  the  leap 
ing  wolf. 

"Stop  "em!"  he  cried  at  last.  "It  makes  me 
nervous  to  watch  that  sort  of  play.  It  isn't 
natural!" 

"All  right,"  said  Dan.     "Stop  it,  boys." 

He  had  not  raised  his  voice,  but  they  ceased 
their  wild  gambols  instantly,  the  stallion,  with 
head  thrown  high  and  arched  tail  and  heaving 
sides,  while  the  wolf,  with  lolling  red  tongue, 
strolled  calmly  towards  his  master. 

The  latter  paid  no  further  attention  to  them,  but 
set  about  kindling  a  small  fire  over  which  to  cook 


Partners  143 

supper.  Calder  joined  him.  The  marshal's  mind 
was  too  full  for  speech,  but  now  and  again  he 
turned  a  long  glance  of  wonder  upon  the  stallion  or 
Black  Bart.  In  the  same  silence  they  sat  under 
the  last  light  of  the  sunset  and  ate  their  supper. 
Calder,  with  head  bent,  pondered  over  the  man 
of  mystery  and  his  two  tamed  animals.  Tamed? 
Not  one  of  the  three  was  tamed,  the  man  least  of 
all. 

He  saw  T)an  pause  from  his  eating  to  stare  with 
wide,  vacant  eyes  among  the  trees.  The  wolf- 
dog  approached,  looked  up  in  his  master's  face, 
whined  softly,  and  getting  no  response  went  back 
to  his  place  and  lay  down,  his  eyes  never  moving 
from  Dan.  Still  he  stared  among  the  trees.  The 
gloom  deepened,  and  he  smiled  faintly.  He  began 
to  whistle,  a  low,  melancholy  strain  so  soft  that  it 
blended  with  the  growing  hush  of  the  night. 
Calder  listened,  wholly  overawed.  That  weird 
music  seemed  an  interpretation  of  the  vast  spaces 
of  the  mountains,  of  the  pitiless  desert,  of  the 
limitless  silences,  and  the  whistler  was  an  under 
standing  part  of  the  whole. 

He  became  aware  of  a  black  shadow  behind  the 
musician.  It  was  Satan,  who  rested  his  nose  on 
the  shoulder  of  the  master.  Without  ceasing  his 
whistling  Dan  raised  a  hand,  touched  the  small 


144  The  Untamed 

muzzle,  and  Satan  went  at  once  to  a  side  of  the 
clearing  and  lay  down.  It  was  almost  as  if  the 
two  had  said  good-night !  Calder  could  stand  it  no 
longer. 

"Dan,  I've  got  to  talk  to  you,"  he  began. 

The   whistling    ceased;    the   wide   brown   eyes 
turned  to  him. 

' '  Fire  away — partner. ' ' 

Ay,  they  had  eaten  together  by  the  same  fire — 
they  had  watched  the  coming  of  the  night — they 
had  shaken  hands  in  friendship — they  were  part 
ners.  He  knew  deep  in  his  heart  that  no  hu 
man  being  could  ever  be  the  actual  comrade  of 
this  man.  This  lord  of  the  voiceless  desert 
needed  no  human  companionship ;  yet  as  the  mar 
shal  glanced  from  the  black  shadow  of  Satan  to 
the  gleaming  eyes  of  Bart,  and  then  to  the  visionary 
face  of  Barry,  he  felt  that  he  had  been  admitted 
by  Whistling  Dan  into  the  mysterious  company. 
The  thought  stirred  him  deeply.  It  was  as  if  he 
had  made  an  alliance  with  the  wandering  wind. 
Why  he  had  been  accepted  he  could  not  dream, 
but  he  had  heard  the  word  ' '  partner ' '  and  he  knew 
it  was  meant.  After  all,  stranger  things  than  this 
happen  in  the  mountain-desert,  where  man  is 
greater  and  convention  less.  A  single  word  has 
been  known  to  estrange  lifelong  comrades;  a 


Partners  145 

single  evening  beside  a  camp-fire  has  changed  foes 
to  partners.  Calder  drew  his  mind  back  to  busi 
ness  with  a  great  effort. 

"There's  one  thing  you  don't  know  about  Jim 
Silent.  A  reward  of  ten  thousand  dollars  lies  on 
his  head.  The  notices  aren't  posted  yet." 

Whistling  Dan  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"I  ain't  after  money,"  he  answered. 

Calder  frowned.     He  did  not  appreciate  a  bluff. 

"Look  here,"  he  said,  "if  we  kill  him,  because 
no  power  on  earth  will  take  him  alive — we'll  split 
the  money." 

"If  you  lay  a  hand  on  him,"  said  Dan,  without 
emotion,  "we  won't  be  friends  no  longer,  I  figger." 

Calder  stared. 

"If  you  don't  want  to  get  him,"  he  said,  "why 
in  God's  name  are  you  trailing  him  this  way  ? " 

Dan  touched  his  lips.  "He  hit  me  with  his 
fist." 

He  paused,  and  spoke  again  with  a  drawling 
voice  that  gave  his  words  an  uncanny  effect. 

"My  blo^d  went  down  from  my  mouth  to  my 
chin.  I  tasted  it.  Till  I  get  him  there  ain't  no 
way  of  me  forgettin'  him. " 

His  eyes  lighted  with  that  ominous  gleam. 

"That's  why  no  other  man  c'n  put  a  hand  on 
him.  He's  laid  out  all  for  me.  Understand?" 


146  The  Untamed 

The  ring  of  the  question  echoed  for  a  moment 
through  Calder's  mind. 

"I  certainly  do,"  he  said  with  profound  con 
viction,  "and  I'll  never  forget  it."  He  decided 
on  a  change  of  tactics.  "But  there  are  other  men 
with  Jim  Silent  and  those  men  will  fight  to  keep 
you  from  gating  to  him. " 

"I'm  sorry  for  'em,"  said  Dan  gently.  "I  ain't 
got  nothin'  agin  any  one  except  the  big  man." 

Calder  took  a  long  breath. 

"Don't  you  see,"  he  explained  carefully,  "if 
you  shoot  one  of  these  men  you  are  simply  a  mur 
derer  who  must  be  apprehended  by  the  law  and 
punished." 

"It  makes  it  bad  for  me,  doesn't  it?"  said  Dan. 
"An'  I  hope  I  won't  have  to  hurt  more'n  one  or 
two  of  'em.  You  see," — he  leaned  forward  seri 
ously  towards  Calder — "I'd  only  shoot  for  their 
arms  or  their  legs.  I  wouldn't  spoil  them  alto 
gether." 

Calder  threw  up  his  hands  in  despair.  Black 
Bart  snarled  at  the  gesture. 

"I  can't  listen  no  more,"  said  Dan.  "I  got  to 
start  explorin'  the  willows  pretty  soon." 

"In  the  dark?"  exclaimed  Calder. 

"Sure.  Black  Bart'll  go  with  me.  The  dark 
don't  bother  him." 


Partners  147 

"I'll  go  along." 

' ' I'd  rather  be  alone.     I  might  meet  him." 

"Any  way  you  want,"  said  Calder,  "but  first 
hear  my  plan — it  doesn't  take  long  to  tell  it." 

The  darkness  thickened  around  them  while  he 
talked.  The  fire  died  out — the  night  swallowed  up 
their  figures. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE   LONE   RIDERS   ENTERTAIN 

WHEN  Lee  Haines  rode  int  Silent 's  camp  that 
evening  no  questions  were  asked.  Questions  were 
not  popular  among  the  long  riders.  He  did  not 
know  more  than  the  names  of  half  the  men  who  sat 
around  the  smoky  fire.  They  were  eager  to  forget 
the  past,  and  the  only  allusions  to  former  times 
came  in  chance  phrases  which  they  let  fall  at  rare 
intervals.  When  they  told  an  anecdote  they 
erased  all  names  by  instinct.  They  would  begin: 
"I  heard  about  a  feller  over  to  the  Circle  Y  outfit 
that  was  once  ridin' — "  etc.  As  a  rule  they 
themselves  were  "that  feller  over  to  the  Circle  Y 
outfit."  Accordingly  only  a  few  grunts  greeted 
Haines  and  yet  he  was  far  and  away  the  most 
popular  man  in  the  group.  Even  solemn-eyed 
Jim  Silent  was  partial  to  the  handsome  fellow. 

"Heard  the  whistling  today?"  he  asked. 

Purvis  shook  his  head  and  Terry  Jordan  allowed 
"as  how  it  was  most  uncommon  fortunate  that  this 

148 


The  Lone  Riders  Entertain        149 

Barry  feller  didn't  start  his  noise."  After  this 
Haines  ate  his  supper  in  silence,  his  ear  ready  to 
catch  the  first  sound  of  Kate's  horse  as  it  crashed 
through  the  willows  and  shrubs.  Nevertheless  it 
was  Shorty  Rhinehart  who  sprang  to  his  feet 
first. 

' '  They's  a  hoss  there  comin'  among  the  willows ! ' ' 
he  announced. 

"Maybe  it's  Silent,"  remarked  Haines  casually. 

"The  chief  don't  make  no  such  a  noise.  He 
picks  his  goin',"  answered  Hal  Purvis. 

The  sound  was  quite  audible  now. 

"They's  been  some  crooked  work,"  said  Rhine- 
hart  excitedly.  "Somebody's  tipped  off  the  mar 
shals  about  where  we're  lyin'. " 

"All  right,"  said  Haines  quietly,  "you  and  I  will 
investigate." 

They  started  through  the  willows.  Rhinehart 
was  cursing  beneath  his  breath. 

"Don't  be  too  fast  with  your  six-gun,"  warned 
Haines. 

"I'd  rather  be  too  early  than  too  late." 

' '  Maybe  it  isn't  a  marshal.  If  a  man  were  look 
ing  for  us  he'd  be  a  fool  to  come  smashing  along  like 
that." 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  Kate  came  into 
view. 


15°  The  Untamed 

"A  girl,  by  God!"  said  Rhinehart,  with  mingled 
relief  and  disgust. 

"Sure  thing,"  agreed  Haines. 

"Let's  beat  it  back  to  the  camp." 

"Not  a  hope.     She's  headed  straight  for  the 
camp.      We'll    take  her  in  and  tell  her  we're  a 
bunch  from  the  Y  Circle  X  outfit  headed  north 
She'll  never  know  the  difference." 

' '  Good  idea, "  said  Rhinehart,  and  he  added  with 
a  chuckle,  "it's  been  nigh  three  months  since 
I've  talked  to  a  piece  of  calico." 

"Hey,  there!"  called  Haines,  and  he  stepped  out 
with  Rhinehart  before  her  horse. 

"Oh!"  cried  Kate,  reining  up  her  horse  sharply. 
"Who  are  you?" 

"A  beaut!"  muttered  Rhinehart  in  devout  ad 
miration. 

"We're  from  the  Y  Circle  X  outfit,"  said  Haines 
glibly,  "camping  over  here  for  the  night.  Are  you 
lost,  lady?" 

"I  guess  I  am.  I  thought  I  could  get  across  the 
willows  before  the  night  fell.  I'm  trying  to  find  a 
man  who  rode  in  this  direction. " 

"Come  on  into  the  camp,"  said  Haines  easily. 
"Maybe  some  of  the  boys  can  put  you  on  his  track. 
What  sort  of  a  looking  fellow  is  he  ? " 

"Rides  a  black  horse  and  whistles  a  good  deal. 


The  Lone  Riders  Entertain        151 

His  name  is  Barry.  They  call  him  Whistling 
Dan." 

"By  God!"  whispered  Rhinehart  in  the  ear  of 
Haines. 

"Shut  up!"  answered  Haines  in  the  same  tone. 
"Are  you  afraid  of  a  girl?" 

"I've  trailed  him  south  this  far, "  went  on  Kate, 
"and  a  few  miles  away  from  here  I  lost  track  of 
him.  I  think  he  may  have  gone  on  across  the 
willows." 

"Haven't  seen  him,"  said  Rhinehart  amiably. 
"But  come  on  to  the  camp,  lady.  Maybe  one  of 
the  boys  has  spotted  him  on  the  way.  What's 
your  name?" 

"Kate  Cumberland,"  she  answered. 

He  removed  his  hat  with  a  broad  grin  and 
reached  up  a  hand  to  her. 

"I'm  most  certainly  glad  to  meet  you,  an'  my 
name's  Shorty.  This  here  is  Lee.  Want  to  come 
along  with  us?" 

"Thank  you.     I'm  a  little  worried." 

"  'S  all  right.  Don't  get  worried.  We'll  show 
you  the  way  out.  Just  follow  us." 

They  started  back  through  the  willows,  Kate 
following  half  a  dozen  yards  behind. 

"Listen  here,  Shorty, "  said  Haines  in  a  cautious 
voice.  ' '  You  heard  her  name  ? ' ' 


15°  The  Untamed 

"A  girl,  by  God!"  said  Rhinehart,  with  mingled 
relief  and  disgust. 

"Sure  thing,"  agreed  Haines. 

"Let's  beat  it  back  to  the  camp." 

"Not  a  hope.     She's  headed  straight  for  the 
camp.      We'll    take  her  in  and  tell  her  we're  a 
bunch  from  the  Y  Circle  X  outfit  headed  north 
She'll  never  know  the  difference." 

Good  idea, "  said  Rhinehart,  and  he  added  with 
a  chuckle,  "it's  been  nigh  three  months  since 
I've  talked  to  a  piece  of  calico." 

"Hey,  there!"  called  Haines,  and  he  stepped  out 
with  Rhinehart  before  her  horse. 

"Oh!"  cried  Kate,  reining  up  her  horse  sharply. 
"Who  are  you?" 

"A  beaut!"  muttered  Rhinehart  in  devout  ad 
miration. 

"We're  from  the  Y  Circle  X  outfit,"  said  Haines 
glibly,  "camping  over  here  for  the  night.  Are  you 
lost,  lady?" 

"I  guess  I  am.  I  thought  I  could  get  across  the 
willows  before  the  night  fell.  I'm  trying  to  find  a 
man  who  rode  in  this  direction. " 

"Come  on  into  the  camp,"  said  Haines  easily. 
"Maybe  some  of  the  boys  can  put  you  on  his  track. 
What  sort  of  a  looking  fellow  is  he  ? " 

"Rides  a  black  horse  and  whistles  a  good  deal. 


The  Lone  Riders  Entertain        151 

His  name  is  Barry.  They  call  him  Whistling 
Dan." 

"By  God!"  whispered  Rhinehart  in  the  ear  of 
Haines. 

"Shut  up!"  answered  Haines  in  the  same  tone. 
"Are  you  afraid  of  a  girl?" 

"I've  trailed  him  south  this  far,  "  went  on  Kate, 
' '  and  a  few  miles  away  from  here  I  lost  track  of 
him.  I  think  he  may  have  gone  on  across  the 
willows." 

"Haven't  seen  him,"  said  Rhinehart  amiably. 
"But  come  on  to  the  camp,  lady.  Maybe  one  of 
the  boys  has  spotted  him  on  the  way.  What's 
your  name?" 

"Kate  Cumberland,"  she  answered. 

He  removed  his  hat  with  a  broad  grin  and 
reached  up  a  hand  to  her. 

"I'm  most  certainly  glad  to  meet  you,  an'  my 
name's  Shorty.  This  here  is  Lee.  Want  to  come 
along  with  us?" 

' ' Thank  you.     I'm  a  little  worried. ' ' 

"  'S  all  right.  Don't  get  worried.  We'll  show 
you  the  way  out.  Just  follow  us." 

They  started  back  through  the  willows,  Kate 
following  half  a  dozen  yards  behind. 

"Listen  here,  Shorty, "  said  Haines  in  a  cautious 
voice.  ' '  You  heard  her  name  ? ' ' 


152  The  Untamed 

"Sure." 

"Well,  that's  the  daughter  of  the  man  that 
raised  Whistling  Dan.  I  saw  her  at  Morgan's 
place.  She's  probably  been  tipped  off  that  he's 
following  Silent,  but  she  has  no  idea  who  we  are." 

"Sure  she  hasn't.  She's  a  great  looker,  eh, 
Lee?" 

"She'll  do,  I  guess.  Now  get  this:  The  girl  is 
after  Whistling  Dan,  and  if  she  meets  him  she'll 
persuade  him  to  come  back  to  her  father's  place. 
She'll  take  him  off  our  trail,  and  I  guess  none  of 
us'll  be  sorry  to  know  that  he's  gone,  eh?" 

' '  I  begin  to  follow  you ,  Lee.  You've  always  had 
the  head!" 

"All  right.  Now  we'll  get  Purvis  to  tell  the  girl 
that  he's  heard  a  peculiar  whistling  around  here 
this  evening.  We'll  advise  her  to  stick  around  and 
go  out  when  she  hears  the  whistling  again.  That 
way  she'll  meet  him  and  head  him  off,  savvy?" 

"Right,"  said  Rhinehart. 

"Then  beat  it  ahead  as  fast  as  you  can  and  wise 
up  the  boys." 

"That's  me — specially  about  their  bein'  Y  Cir 
cle  X  fellers,  eh?" 

He  chuckled  and  made  ahead  as  fast  as  his  long 
legs  could  carry  him.  Haines  dropped  back  be 
side  Kate. 


The  Lone  Riders  Entertain        153 

"Everything  goes  finely,"  he  assured  her.  "I 
told  Rhinehart  what  to  do.  He's  gone  ahead  to 
the  camp.  Now  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  keep  your 
head.  One  of  the  boys  will  tell  you  that  we've 
heard  some  whistling  near  the  camp  this  evening. 
Then  I'll  ask  you  to  stay  around  for  a  while  in  case 
the  whistling  should  sound  again,  do  you  see? 
Remember,  never  ask  a  question!" 

It  was  even  more  simple  than  Haines  had  hoped. 
Silent's  men  suspected  nothing.  After  all,  Kate's 
deception  was  a  small  affair,  and  her  frankness, 
her  laughter,  and  her  beauty  carried  all  before  her. 

The  long  riders  became  quickly  familiar  with 
her,  but  through  their  rough  talk,  the  Westerners' 
reverence  for  a  woman  ran  like  a  thread  of  gold 
over  a  dark  cloth.  Her  fear  lessened  and  almost 
passed  away  while  she  listened  to  their  talk  and 
watched  their  faces.  The  kindly  human  nature 
which  had  lain  unexpressed  in  most  of  them  for 
months  together  burst  out  torrent-like  and  flooded 
about  her  with  a  sense  of  security  and  power. 
These  were  conquerors  of  men,  fighters  by  instinct 
and  habit,  but  here  they  sat  laughing  and  chatter 
ing  with  a  helpless  girl,  and  not  a  one  of  them  but 
would  have  cut  the  others'  throats  rather  than  see 
her  come  to  harm.  The  roughness  of  their  past 
and  the  dread  of  their  future  they  laid  aside  like  an 


154  The  Untamed 

ugly  cloak  while  they  showed  her  what  lies  in  the 
worst  man's  heart — a  certain  awe  of  woman. 
Their  manners  underwent  a  sudden  change. 
Polite  words,  rusted  by  long  disuse,  were  resur 
rected  in  her  honour.  Tremendous  phrases  came 
labouring  forth.  There  was  a  general  though 
covert  rearranging  of  bandanas,  and  an  inter 
change  of  self-conscious  glances.  Haines  alone 
seemed  impervious  to  her  charm. 

The  red  died  slowly  along  the  west.  There  was 
no  light  save  the  flicker  of  the  fire,  which  played 
on  Kate's  smile  and  the  rich  gold  of  her  hair,  or 
caught  out  of  the  dark  one  of  the  lean,  hard  faces 
which  circled  her.  Now  and  then  it  fell  on  the 
ghastly  grin  of  Terry  Jordan  and  Kate  had  to 
clench  her  hand  to  keep  up  her  nerve. 

It  was  deep  night  when  Jim  Silent  rode  into  the 
clearing.  Shorty  Rhinehart  and  Hal  Purvis  went 
to  him  quickly  to  explain  the  presence  of  the  girl 
and  the  fact  that  they  were  all  members  of  the  Y 
Circle  X  outfit.  He  responded  with  nods  while  his 
gloomy  eyes  held  fast  on  Kate.  When  they  pre 
sented  him  as  the  boss,  Jim,  he  replied  to  her  good- 
natured  greeting  in  a  voice  that  was  half  grunt  and 
half  growl. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

DELILAH 

HAINES  muttered  at  Kate's  ear:  "This  is  the 
man.  Now  keep  up  your  courage." 

"He  doesn't  like  this,"  went  on  Haines  in  the 
same  muffled  voice,  "but  when  he  understands 
just  why  you're  here  I  think  he'll  be  as  glad  as  any 
of  us." 

Silent  beckoned  to  him  and  he  went  to  the  chief, 

"What  about  the  girl?"  asked  the  big  fello\t 
curtly. 

' '  Didn't  Rhinehart  tell  you  ? ' ' 

"Rhinehart's  a  fool  and  so  are  the  rest  of  them. 
Have  you  gone  loco  too,  Haines,  to  let  a  girl  come 
here?" 

"Where's  the  harm?" 

"Why,  damn  it,  she's  marked  every  man  here." 

"I  let  her  in  because  she  is  trying  to  get  hold  of 
Whistling  Dan." 

"Which  no  fool  girl  c'n  take  that  feller  off  the 
trail.  Nothin'  but  lead  can  do  that." 

155 


156  The  Untamed 

"I  tell  you,"  said  Haines,  "the  boy's  in  love 
with  her.  I  watched  them  at  Morgan's  place. 
She  can  twist  him  around  her  finger." 

A  faint  light  broke  the  gloom  of  Silent's  face. 

"Yaller  hair  an'  blue  eyes.  They  c'n  do  a  lot. 
Maybe  you're  right.  What's  that?"  His  voice 
had  gone  suddenly  husky. 

A  russet  moon  pushed  slowly  up  through  the 
trees.  Its  uncertain  light  fell  across  the  clearing. 
For  the  first  time  the  thick  pale  smoke  of  the  fire 
was  visible,  rising  straight  up  until  it  cleared  the 
tops  of  the  willows,  and  then  caught  into  swift, 
jagging  lines  as  the  soft  wind  struck  it.  A  coyote 
wailed  from  the  distant  hills,  and  before  his  com 
plaint  was  done  another  sound  came  through  the 
hushing  of  the  willows,  a  melancholy  whistling, 
thin  with  distance. 

"We'll  see  if  that's  the  man  you  want,"  sug 
gested  Haines. 

"I'll  go  along,"  said  Shorty  Rhinehart. 

"And  me  too,"  said  a  third.  The  whole  group 
would  have  accompanied  them,  but  the  heavy 
voice  of  Jim  Silent  cut  in:  "You'll  stay  here,  all 
of  you  except  the  girl  and  Lee." 

They  turned  back,  muttering,  and  Kate  followed 
Haines  into  the  willows. 

"Well?"  growled  Bill  Kilduff. 


Delilah  157 

•'What  I  want  to  know — "  broke  in  Terry  Jor 
dan. 

"Go  to  hell  with  your  questions,"  said  Silent, 
"but  until  you  go  there  you'll  do  what  I  say, 
understand?" 

"Look  here,  Jim,"  said  Hal  Purvis,  "are  you  a 
king  an'  we  jest  your  slaves,  maybe?" 

"You're  goin'  it  a  pile  too  hard,"  said  Shorty 
Rhinehart. 

Every  one  of  these  speeches  came  sharply  out 
while  they  glared  at  Jim  Silent.  Hands  were  be 
ginning  to  fall  to  the  hip  and  fingers  were  curv 
ing  stiffly  as  if  for  the  draw.  Silent  leaned  his 
broad  shoulders  against  the  side  of  his  roan  and 
folded  his  arms.  His  eyes  went  round  the  circle 
slowly,  lingering  an  instant  on  each  face.  Under 
that  cold  stare  they  grew  uneasy.  To  Shorty 
Rhinehart  it  became  necessary  to  push  back  his 
hat  and  scratch  his  forehead.  Terry  Jordan  found 
a  mysterious  business  with  his  bandana.  Every 
one  of  them  had  occasion  to  raise  his  hand  from  thes 
neighbourhood  of  his  six-shooter.  Silent  smiled, 

' '  A  fine,  hard  crew  you  are, ' '  he  said  sarcastically, 
at  last.  "A  great  bunch  of  long  riders,  lettin'  a 
slip  of  a  yaller-haired  girl  make  fools  of  you.  You 
over  there — you,  Shorty  Rhinehart,  you'd  cut  the 
throat  of  a  man  that  looked  crosswise  at  the,  Cum- 


158  The  Untamed 

berland  girl,  wouldn't  you?  An'  you,  Purvis, 
you're  aching  to  get  at  me,  ain't  you?  An'  you're 
still  thinkin'  of  them  blue  eyes,  Jordan?" 

Before  any  one  could  speak  he  poured  in  another 
volley  between  wind  and  water:  "One  slip  of  a 
girl  can  make  fools  out  of  five  long  riders?  No, 
you  ain't  long  riders.  All  you  c'n  handle  is  hobby 
hosses!" 

"What  do  you  want  us  to  do?"  growled  swarthy 
Bill  Kilduff. 

"Keep  your  face  shut  while  I'm  talkin',  that's 
what  I  want  you  to  do ! " 

There  was  a  devil  of  rage  in  his  eyes.  His  folded 
arms  tugged  at  each  other,  and  if  they  got  free 
there  would  be  gun  play.  The  four  men  shrank, 
and  he  was  satisfied. 

"Now  I'll  tell  you  what  we're  goin'  to  do,"  he 
went  on.  "We're  goin'  out  after  Haines  an'  the 
girl.  If  they  come  up  with  this  Whistlin'  Dan 
we're  goin'  to  surround  him  an'  fill  him  full  of 
lead,  while  they're  talkin'." 

"Not  for  a  million  dollars!"  burst  in  Hal  Pur 
vis. 

' '  Not  in  a  thousan'  years ! ' '  echoed  Terry  Jordan. 

Silent  turned  his  watchful  eyes  from  one  to  the 
other.  They  were  ready  to  fight  now,  and  he 
sensed  it  at  once. 


Delilah  159 

"Why?"  he  asked  calmly. 

"It  ain't  playin'  square  with  the  girl,"  an 
nounced  Rhinehart. 

"Purvis,"  said  Silent,  for  he  knew  that  the 
opposition  centred  in  the  figure  of  the  venomous 
little  gun  fighter;  "if  you  seen  a  mad  dog  that  was 
runnin'  straight  at  you,  would  you  be  kep'  from 
shootin'  it  because  a  pretty  girl  hollered  out  an' 
asked  you  not  to  ? " 

Their  eyes  shifted  rapidly  from  one  to  another, 
seeking  a  way  out,  and  finding  none. 

"An'  is  there  any  difference  between  this  hero 
Whistlin'  Dan  an'  a  mad  dog?" 

Still  they  were  mute. 

"I  tell  you,  boys,  we  got  a  better  chance  of 
dodgin'  lightnin'  an'  puttin'  a  bloodhound  off  our 
trail  than  we  have  of  gettin'  rid  of  this  Whistlin' 
Dan.  An'  when  he  catches  up  with  us — well, 
all  I'm  askin'  is  that  you  remember  what  he  done 
to  them  four  dollars  before  they  hit  the  dust?" 

"The  chief's  right,"  growled  Kilduff,  staring 
down  at  the  ground.  "It's  Whistlin'  Dan  or  us. 
The  mountains  ain't  big  enough  to  hold  him  an* 
us!" 

Before  Whistling  Dan  the  great  wolf  glided 
among  the  trees.  For  a  full  hour  they  had  wan- 


160  The  Untamed 

dered  through  the  willows  in  this  manner,  and  Dan 
had  made  up  his  mind  to  surrender  the  search  when 
Bart,  returning  from  one  of  his  noiseless  detours, 
sprang  out  before  his  master  and  whined  softly. 
Dan  turned,  loosening  his  revolver  in  the  holster, 
and  followed  Bart  through  the  soft  gloom  of  the 
tree  shadows  and  the  moonlight.  His  step  was 
almost  as  silent  as  that  of  the  slinking  animal 
which  went  before.  At  last  the  wolf  stopped  and 
raised  his  head.  Almost  instantly  Dan  saw  a  man 
and  a  woman  approaching  through  the  willows. 
The  moonlight  dropped  across  her  face.  He 
recognized  Kate,  with  Lee  Haines  walking  a  pace 
before  her. 

"Stand  where  you  are,"  he  said. 

Haines  leaped  to  one  side,  his  revolver  flashing 
in  his  hand.  Dan  stepped  out  before  them  while 
Black  Bart  slunk  close  beside  him,  snarling  softly. 

He  seemed  totally  regardless  of  the  gun  in 
Haines's  hand.  His  manner  was  that  of  a  con 
queror  who  had  the  outlaw  at  his  mercy. 

"You,"  he  said,  "walk  over  there  to  the  side  of 
the  clearing." 

"Dan!"  cried  Kate,  as  she  went  to  him  with 
extended  arms. 

He  stopped  her  with  a  gesture,  his  eyes  upon 
Haines,  who  had  moved  away. 


Delilah  161 

"Watch  him,  Bart,"  said  Dan. 

The  black  wolf  ran  to  Haines  and  crouched 
snarling  at  his  feet.  The  outlaw  restored  his 
revolver  to  his  holster  and  stood  with  his  arms 
folded,  his  back  turned.  Dan  looked  to  Kate. 
At  the  meeting  of  their  eyes  she  shrank  a  little. 
She  had  expected  a  difficult  task  in  persuading 
him,  but  not  this  hard  aloofness.  She  felt  sud 
denly  as  if  she  were  a  stranger  to  him. 

' '  How  do  you  come  here — with  him  ? ' ' 

"He  is  my  friend!" 

"You  sure  pick  a  queer  place  to  go  walkin'  with 
him." 

' '  Hush,  Dan !    He  brought  me  here  to  find  you !" 

"He  brought  you  here?" 

"Don't  you  understand?" 

"When  I  want  a  friend  like  him,  I'll  go 
huntin'  for  him  myself;  an'  I'll  pack  a  gun  with 
me!" 

That  flickering  yellow  light  played  behind  Dan's 
eyes. 

' '  I  looked  into  his  face — an'  he  stared  the  other 
way." 

She  made  a  little  imploring  gesture,  but  his  hand 
remained  on  his  hips,  and  there  was  no  softening  of 
his  voice. 

"What  fetched  you  here?" 


162  The  Untamed 

Every  word  was  like  a  hand  that  pushed  her 
farther  away. 

"Are  you  dumb,  Kate?  What  fetched  you 
here?" 

"I  have  come  to  bring  you  home,  Dan." 

"I'm  home  now." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 

"There's  the  roof  of  my  house,"  he  jerked  his 
hand  towards  the  sky,  "the  mountain  passes  are 
my  doors — an'  the  earth  is  my  floor. " 

"No!  no!  We  are  waiting  for  you  at  the 
ranch." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Dan,  this  wild  trail  has  no  end." 

' '  Maybe,  but  I  know  that  feller  c  an  show  me  the 
way  to  Jim  Silent,  an'  now 

He  turned  towards  Haines  as  he  spoke,  but  here 
a  low,  venomous  snarl  from  Black  Bart  checked 
his  words.  Kate  saw  him  stiffen — his  lips  parted 
to  a  faint  smile — his  head  tilted  back  a  little  as  if 
he  listened  intently,  though  she  could  hear  no 
thing.  She  was  not  a  yard  from  him,  and  yet  she 
felt  a  thousand  miles  away.  His  head  turned  full 
upon  her,  and  she  would  never  forget  the  yellow 
light  of  his  eyes. 

"Dan!"  she  cried,  but  her  voice  was  no  louder 
than  a  whisper. 


Delilah  163 

::  Delilah!"  he  said,  and  leaped  back  into  the 
shade  of  the  willows. 

Even  as  he  sprang  she  saw  the  flash  of  the 
moonlight  on  his  drawn  revolver,  and  fire  spat  from 
it  twice,  answered  by  a  yell  of  pain,  the  clang  of  a 
bullet  on  metal,  and  half  a  dozen  shots  from  the 
woods  behind  her. 

That  word  "Delilah!"  rang  in  her  brain  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  the  world.  Vaguely  she  heard 
voices  shouting — she  turned  a  little  and  saw  Haines 
facing  her  with  his  revolver  in  his  hand,  but  pre 
vented  from  moving  by  the  wolf  who  crouched 
snarling  at  his  feet.  The  order  of  his  master  kept 
him  there  even  after  that  master  was  gone.  Now 
men  ran  out  into  the  clearing.  A  keen  whistle 
sounded  far  off  among  the  willows,  and  the  wolf 
leaped  away  from  his  prisoner  and  into  the  shad 
ows  on  the  trail  of  Dan. 

Tex  Calder  prided  himself  on  being  a  light  sleeper. 
Years  spent  in  constant  danger  enabled  him  to 
keep  his  sense  of  hearing  alert  even  when  he  slept. 
He  had  never  been  surprised.  It  was  his  boast 
that  he  never  would  be.  Therefore  when  a  hand 
dropped  lightly  on  his  shoulder  he  started  erect 
from  his  blankets  with  a  curse  and  grasped 
his  revolver.  A  strong  grip  on  his  wrist  para- 


164  The  Untamed 

lysed  his  fingers.  Whistling  Dan  leaned  above 
him. 

"Wake  up,"  said  the  latter. 

"What  the  devil—  breathed  the  marshal, 
"You  travel  like  a  cloud  shadow,  Dan.  You  mak< 
no  sound." 

"Wake  up  and  talk  to  me." 

"I'm  awake  all  right.     What's  happened?" 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence  while  Dan 
seemed  to  be  trying  for  speech. 

Black  Bart,  at  the  other  side  of  the  clearing, 
pointed  his  nose  at  the  yellow  moon  and  wailed. 
He  was  very  close,  but  the  sound  was  so  controlled 
that  it  seemed  to  come  at  a  great  distance  from 
some  wild  spirit  wandering  between  earth  and 
heaven. 

Instead  of  speaking  Dan  jumped  to  his  feet  and 
commenced  pacing  up  and  down,  up  and  down,  a 
rapid,  tireless  stride;  at  his  heels  the  wolf  slunk, 
with  lowered  head  and  tail.  The  strange  fellow 
was  in  some  great  trouble,  Calder  could  see,  and 
it  stirred  him  mightily  to  know  that  the  wild  man 
had  turned  to  him  for  help.  Yet  he  would  ask  no 
questions. 

When  in  doubt  the  cattleman  rolls  a  cigarette, 
and  that  was  what  Calder  did.  He  smoked  and 
waited.  At  last  the  inevitable  came. 


Delilah  165 

"How  old  are  you,  Tex?" 

"Forty-four." 

"That's  a  good  deal.  You  ought  to  know 
something." 

il  Maybe." 

"About  women?" 

"Ah!"saidCalder. 

"Bronchos  is  cut  out  chiefly  after  one  pattern, " 
went  on  Dan.  "They's  chiefly  jest  meanness. 
Are  women  the  same — jest  cut  after  one  pattern?" 

"What  pattern,  Dan?" 

"The  pattern  of  Delilah!  They  ain't  no  trust 
to  be  put  in  'em?" 

"A  good  many  of  us  have  found  that  out." 

"I  thought  one  woman  was  different  from  the 
rest." 

"We  all  think  that.  Woman  in  particular  is 
divine;  woman  in  general  is — hell!" 

"Ay,  but  this  one — '  He  stopped  and  set  his 
teeth. 

"What  has  she  done?" 

"She — "  he  hesitated,  and  when  he  spoke  again 
his  voice  did  not  tremble;  there  was  a  deep  hurt 
and  wonder  in  it:  "She  double-crossed  me!" 

"When?  Do  you  mean  to  say  you've  met  a 
woman  tonight  out  here  among  the  willows? — 
Where— how " 


i66  The  Untamed 


"Tex !" 

"Ay,  Dan." 

"It's— it's  hell!" 

"It  is  now.  But  you'll  forget  her!  The  moun 
tains,  the  desert,  and  above  all,  time — they'll  cure 
you,  my  boy." 

"Not  in  a  whole  century,  Tex." 

Calder  waited  curiously  for  the  explanation.  It 
came. 

"Jest  to  think  of  her  is  like  hearing  music.  Oh, 
God,  Tex,  what  c'n  I  do  to  fight  agin  this  here 
cold  feelin'  at  my  heart?" 

Dan  slipped  down  beside  the  marshal  and  the 
latter  dropped  a  sympathetic  hand  over  the  lean, 
brown  fingers.  They  returned  the  pressure  with  a 
bone-crushing  grip. 

"Fight,  Dan!     It  will  make  you  forget  her." 

"Her  skin  is  softer'n  satin,  Tex." 

"Ay,  but  you'll  never  touch  it  again,  Dan." 

"Her  eyes  are  deeper'n  a  pool  at  night  an'  her 
hair  is  all  gold  like  ripe  corn." 

"You'll  never  look  into  her  eyes  again,  Dan, 
and  you'll  never  touch  the  gold  of  that  hair." 

"God!" 

The  word  was  hardly  more  than  a  whisper,  but 
it  brought  Black  Bart  leaping  to  his  feet. 

Dan  spoke  again :    "Tex,  I'm  thankin'  you  for 


Delilah  167 

listenin'  to  me;  I  wanted  to  talk.  Bein'  silent  was 
burnin'  me  up.  There's  one  thing  more." 

"Fire  it  out,  lad." 

"This  evenin'  I  told  you  I  hated  no  man  but 
Jim  Silent." 

"Yes." 

"An'  now  they's  another  of  his  gang.  Some 
time — when  she's  standin'  by — I'm  goin'  to  take 
him  by  the  throat  till  he  don't  breathe  no  more. 
Then  I'll  throw  him  down  in  front  of  her  an'  ask 
her  if  she  c'n  kiss  the  life  back  into  his  lips!" 

Calder  was  actually  shaking  with  excitement, 
but  he  was  wise  enough  not  to  speak. 

"Tex!" 

"Ay,  lad." 

"But    when     I've    choked    his     damned     life 


away 

"Yes?" 

"Ay,  lad." 

"There'll  be  five  more  that  seen  her  shamin'  me. 
Tex — all  hell  is  bustin'  loose  inside  me!" 

For  a  moment  Calder  watched,  but  that  stare 
of  cold  hate  mastered  him.  He  turned  his  head. 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE   CROSS    ROADS 

As  Black  Bart  raced  away  in  answer  to  Dan's 
whistle,  Kate  recovered  herself  from  the  daze  in 
which  she  stood  and  with  a  sob  ran  towards  the 
willows,  calling  the  name  of  Dan,  but  Silent  sprang 
after  her,  and  caught  her  by  the  arm.  She  cried 
out  and  struggled  vainly  in  his  grip. 

' '  Don't  follow  him,  boys ! ' '  called  Silent.  ' '  He's 
a  dog  that  can  bite  while  he  runs.  Stand  quiet, 
girl!" 

Lee  Haines  caught  him  by  the  shoulder  and 
jerked  Silent  around.  His  hand  held  the  butt  of 
his  revolver,  and  his  whole  arm  trembled  with 
eagerness  for  the  draw. 

"Take  your  hand  from  her,  Jim!"  he  said. 

Silent  met  his  eye  with  the  same  glare  and  while 
his  left  hand  still  held  Kate  by  both  her  wrists  his 
right  dropped  to  his  gun. 

"Not  when  you  tell  me,  Lee!" 

"Damn  you,  I  say  let  her  go!" 

168 


The  Cross  Roads  169 

"By  God,  Haines,  I  stand  for  too  much  from 
you!" 

And  still  they  did  not  draw,  because  each  of  them 
knew  that  if  the  crisis  came  it  would  mean  death  to 
them  both.  Bill  Kilduff  jumped  between  them 
and  thrust  them  back. 

He  cried,  "Ain't  we  got  enough  trouble  without 
roundin'  up  work  at  home?  Terry  Jordan  is  shot 
through  the  arm." 

Kate  tugged  at  the  restraining  hand  of  Silent, 
not  in  an  attempt  to  escape,  but  in  order  to  get 
closer  to  Haines. 

"Was  this  your  friendship?"  she  said,  her  voice 
shaking  with  hate  and  sorrow,  "to  bring  me  here  as 
a  lure  for  Whistling  Dan?  Listen  to  me,  all  of 
you !  He's  escaped  you  now,  and  he'll  come  again. 
Remember  him,  for  he  shan't  forget  you!" 

"You  hear  her?"  said  Silent  to  Haines.  "Is 
this  what  you  want  me  to  turn  loose?" 

"Silent,"  said  Haines,  "it  isn't  the  girl  alone 
you've  double  crossed.  You've  crooked  me,  and 
you'll  pay  me  for  it  sooner  or  later ! " 

"Day  or  night,  winter  or  summer,  I'm  willing  to 
meet  you  an'  fight  it  out.  Rhinehart  and  Purvis, 
take  this  girl  back  to  the  clearing!" 

They  approached,  Purvis  still  staring  at  the  hand 
from  which  only  a  moment  before  his  gun  had  been 


170  The  Untamed 

knocked  by  the  shot  of  Whistling  Dan.  It  was 
a  thing  which  he  could  not  understand — he  had 
not  yet  lost  a  most  uncomfortable  sense  of  awe. 
Haines  made  no  objection  when  they  went  off, 
with  Kate  walking  between  them.  He  knew,  now 
that  his  blind  anger  had  left  him,  that  it  was 
folly  to  draw  on  a  fight  while  the  rest  of  Silent's 
men  stood  around  them. 

"An'  the  rest  of  you  go  back  to  the  clearin'. 
I  got  somethin'  to  talk  over  with  Lee,"  said 
Silent. 

The  others  obeyed  without  question,  and  the 
leader  turned  back  to  his  lieutenant.  For  a 
moment  longer  they  remained  staring  at  each 
other.  Then  Silent  moved  slowly  forward  with 
outstretched  hand. 

"Lee,"  he  said  quietly,  "I'm  owin'  you  an 
apology  an'  I'm  man  enough  to  make  it. " 

"I  can't  take  your  hand,  Jim." 

Silent  hesitated. 

"I  guess  you  got  cause  to  be  mad,  Lee,"  he 
said.  "Maybe  I  played  too  quick  a  hand.  I 
didn't  think  about  double  crossin'  you.  I  only 
seen  a  way  to  get  Whistlin'  Dan  out  of  our  path, 
an'  I  took  it  without  rememberin'  that  you  was 
the  safeguard  to  the  girl." 

Haines  eyed  his  chief  narrowly. 


The  Cross  Roads  171 

"I  wish  to  God  I  could  read  your  mind,"  he 
said  at  last,  "but  I'll  take  your  word  that  you  did 
it  without  thinking." 

His  hand  slowly  met  Silent's. 

"An'  what  about  the  girl  now,  Lee?" 

"I'll  send  her  back  to  her  father's  ranch.  It 
will  be  easy  to  put  her  on  the  right  way." 

"Don't  you  see  no  reason  why  you  can't  do 
that?" 

"Are  you  playing  with  me?" 

"I'm  talkin'  to  you  as  I'd  talk  to  myself.  If 
she's  loose  she'll  describe  us  all  an'  set  the  whole 
range  on  our  trail." 

Haines  stared. 

Silent  went  on:  "If  we  can't  turn  her  loose, 
they's  only  one  thing  left — an'  that's  to  take  her 
with  us  wherever  we  go." 

' '  On  your  honour,  do  you  see  no  other  way  out  ? " 

"Do  you?" 

"She  may  promise  not  to  speak  of  it." 

"There  ain't  no  way  of  changin'  the  spots  of  a 
leopard,  Lee,  an'  there  ain't  no  way  of  keepin'  a 
woman's  tongue  still." 

"How  can  we  take  a  girl  with  us." 

"It  ain't  goin'  to  be  for  long.  After  we  pull  the 
job  that  comes  on  the  eighteenth,  we'll  blow  farther 
south  an'  then  we'll  let  her  go." 


172  The  Untamed 

"And  no  harm  will  come  to  her  while  she's  with 
us?" 

"Here's  my  hand  on  it,  Lee." 

"How  can  she  ride  with  us?" 

"She  won't  go  as  a  woman.  I've  thought  of 
that.  I  brought  out  a  new  outfit  for  Purvis  from 
Elkhead — trousers,  chaps,  shirts,  an'  all.  He's 
small.  They'll  near  fit  the  girl. ' ' 

"There  isn't  any  other  way,  Jim?" 

"I  leave  it  to  you.  God  knows  /  don't  want  to 
drag  any  damn  calico  aroun'  with  us." 

As  they  went  back  towards  their  clearing  they 
arranged  the  details.  Silent  would  take  the  men 
aside  and  explain  his  purpose  to  them.  Haines 
could  inform  the  girl  of  what  she  must  do.  Just 
before  they  reached  the  camp  Silent  stopped  short 
and  took  Haines  by  the  shoulder. 

"They's  one  thing  I  can't  make  out,  Lee,  an* 
that's  how  Whistlin'  Dan  made  his  getaway. 
I'd  of  bet  a  thousand  bones  that  he  would  be 
dropped  before  he  could  touch  his  shootin'  irons. 
An'  then  what  happened?  Hal  Purvis  jest  flashed 
a  gun — and  that  feller  shot  it  out'n  his  hand.  I 
never  seen  a  draw  like  that.  His  hand  jest 
seemed  to  twitch — I  couldn't  follow  the  move  he 
made — an'  the  next  second  his  gun  went  off." 

He  stared  at  Lee  with  a  sort  of  fascinated  horror. 


The  Cross  Roads  173 

"Silent,"  said  Haines,  "can  you  explain  how 
the  lightning  comes  down  out  of  the  sky  ? ' ' 

"Of  course  not." 

"Then  don't  ask  me  to  explain  how  Whistling 
Dan  made  his  getaway.  One  minute  I  heard  him 
talkin'  with  the  girl.  The  next  second  there  was 
two  shots  and  when  I  whirled  he  was  gone.  But 
he'll  come  back,  Jim.  We're  not  through  with 
him.  He  slipped  away  from  you  and  your  men 
like  water  out  of  a  sieve,  but  we  won't  slip  away 
from  him  the  same  way. 

Silent  stared  on  again  with  bowed  head. 

"He  liked  the  girl,  Lee?" 

"Any  one  could  see  that." 

"Then  while  she's  with  us  he'll  go  pretty  slow. 
Lee,  that's  another  reason  why  she's  got  to  stay 
with  us.  My  frien',  it's  time  we  was  moving  out 
from  the  willows.  The  next  time  he  comes  up 
with  us  he  won't  be  numb  in  the  head.  He'll  be 
thinkin'  fast  an'  he'll  be  shootin'  a  damn  sight 
faster.  We  got  two  jobs  ahead  of  us — first  to  get 
that  Wells  Fargo  shipment,  and  then  to  get 
Whistling  Dan.  There  ain't  room  enough  in  the 
whole  world  for  him  and  me." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE   THREE   OF    US 

IN  the  clearing  of  Whistling  Dan  and  Tex 
Calder  the  marshal  had  turned  into  his  blankets 
once  more.  There  was  no  thought  of  sleep  in 
Dan's  mind.  When  the  heavy  breathing  of  the 
sleeper  began  he  rose  and  commenced  to  pace  up 
and  down  on  the  farther  side  of  the  open  space. 
Two  pairs  of  glowing  eyes  followed  him  in  every 
move.  Black  Bart,  who  trailed  him  up  and  down 
during  the  first  few  turns  he  made,  now  sat  down 
and  watched  his  master  with  a  wistful  gaze.  The 
black  stallion,  who  lay  more  like  a  dog  than  a 
horse  on  the  ground,  kept  his  ears  pricked  for 
wards,  as  if  expecting  some  order.  Once  or  twice 
he  whinnied  very  softly,  and  finally  Dan  sat  down 
beside  Satan,  his  shoulders  leaned  against  the 
satiny  side  and  his  arms  flung  out  along  the 
stallion's  back.  Several  times  he  felt  hot  breath 
against  his  cheek  as  the  horse  turned  a  curious 
head  towards  him,  but  he  paid  no  attention,  even 

174 


The  Three  of  Us  175 

when  the  stallion  whinnied  a  question  in  his  ear. 
In  his  heart  was  a  numb,  strange  feeling  which 
made  him  weak.  He  was  even  blind  to  the  fact 
that  Black  Bart  at  last  slipped  into  the  shadows 
of  the  willows. 

Presently  something  cold  touched  his  chin. 
He  found  himself  staring  into  the  yellow-green 
eyes  of  Black  Bart,  who  panted  from  his  run,  and 
now  dropped  from  his  mouth  something  which 
fell  into  Dan's  lap.  It  was  the  glove  of  Kate 
Cumberland.  In  the  grasp  of  his  long  nervous 
fingers,  how  small  it  was !  and  yet  the  hand  which 
had  wrinkled  the  leather  was  strong  enough  to  hold 
the  heart  of  a  man.  He  slipped  and  caught  the 
shaggy  black  head  of  Bart  between  his  hands. 
The  wolf  knew — in  some  mysterious  way  he 
knew! 

The  touch  of  sympathy  unnerved  him.  All  his 
sorrow  and  his  weakness  burst  on  his  soul  in  a 
single  wave.  A  big  tear  struck  the  shining  nose 
of  the  wolf. 

"Bart!"  he  whispered.  "Did  you  figger  on 
plumb  bustin'  my  heart,  pal?" 

To  avoid  those  large  melancholy  eyes,  Bart 
pressed  his  head  inside  of  his  master's  arms. 

"Delilah!"  whispered  Dan. 

After  that  not  a  sound  came  from  the  three,  the 


176  The  Untamed 

horse,  the  dog,  or  the  man.  Black  Bart  curled  up 
at  the  feet  of  his  master  and  seemed  to  sleep,  but 
every  now  and  then  an  ear  raised  or  an  eye 
twitched  open.  He  was  on  guard  aganst  a  danger 
which  he  did  not  understand.  The  horse,  also, 
with  a  high  head  scanned  the  circling  willows,  alert ; 
but  the  man  for  whom  the  stallion  and  the  wolf 
watched  gave  no  heed  to  either.  There  was  a 
vacant  and  dreamy  expression  in  his  eye  as  if  he 
was  searching  his  own  inner  heart  and  found  there 
the  greatest  enemy  of  all.  All  night  they  sat  in 
this  manner,  silent,  moveless;  the  animals  watch 
ing  against  the  world,  the  man  watching  against 
himself.  Before  dawn  he  roused  himself  suddenly, 
crossed  to  the  sleeping  marshal,  and  touched  him 
on  the  arm. 

"It's  time  we  hit  the  trail,"  he  said,  as  Calder 
sat  up  in  the  blanket. 

"What's  happened?  Isn't  it  our  job  to  comb 
the  willows?" 

"Silent  ain't  in  the  willows." 

Calder  started  to  his  feet. 

' '  How  do  you  know  ? ' ' 

"They  ain't  close  to  us,  that's  all  I  know." 

Tex  smiled  incredulously. 

"I  suppose,"  he  said  good  humouredly,  "that 
your  instinct  brought  you  this  message?" 


The  Three  of  Us  17? 

"Instinct?"  repeated  Dan  blankly,  "I  dunno." 

Calder  grew  serious. 

"We'll  take  a  chance  that  you  may  be  right. 
At  least  we  can  ride  down  the  river  bank  and  see 
if  there  are  any  fresh  tracks  in  the  sand.  If 
Silent  started  this  morning  I  have  an  idea  he'll 
head  across  the  river  and  line  out  for  the  railroad. " 

In  twenty  minutes  their  breakfast  was  eaten 
and  they  were  in  the  saddle.  The  sun  had  not 
yet  risen  when  they  came  out  of  the  willows  to  the 
broad  shallow  basin  of  the  river.  In  spring,  when 
the  snow  of  the  mountains  melted,  that  river  filled 
from  bank  to  bank  with  a  yellow  torrent;  at  the 
dry  season  of  the  year  it  was  a  dirty  little  creek 
meandering  through  the  sands.  Down  the  bank 
they  rode  at  a  sharp  trot  for  a  mile  and  a  half  until 
Black  Bart,  who  scouted  ahead  of  them  at  his  glid 
ing  wolf-trot,  came  to  an  abrupt  stop.  Dan 
spoke  to  Satan  and  the  stallion  broke  into  a  swift 
gallop  which  left  the  pony  of  Tex  Calder  labouring 
in  the  rear.  When  they  drew  rein  beside  the  wolf, 
they  found  seven  distinct  tracks  of  horses  which 
went  down  the  bank  of  the  river  and  crossed  the 
basin.  Calder  turned  with  a  wide-eyed  amaze 
ment  to  Dan. 

"You're  right  again,"  he  said,  not  without  a 
touch  of  vexation  in  his  voice;  "but  the  dog 


178  The  Untamed 

stopped  at  these  tracks.  How  does  he  know  we 
are  hunting  for  Silent's  crew?" 

"I  dunno,"  said  Dan,  "maybe  he  jest  sus 
pects." 

"They  can't  have  a  long  start  of  us,"  said 
Calder.  "Let's  hit  the  trail.  We'll  get  them 
before  night." 

"No,"  said  Dan,  "we  won't." 

"Why  won't  we?'" 

"I've  seen  Silent's  hoss,  and  I've  ridden  him. 
If  the  rest  of  his  gang  have  the  same  kind  of  hoss 
flesh,  you  c'n  never  catch  him  with  that  cay  use  of 
yours. " 

"Maybe  not  today,"  said  Calder,  "but  in  two 
days  we'll  run  him  down.  Seven  horses  can't 
travel  as  two  in  a  long  chase. ' ' 

They  started  out  across  the  basin,  keeping  to 
the  tracks  of  Silent's  horses.  It  was  the  marshal's 
idea  that  the  outlaws  would  head  on  a  fairly 
straight  line  for  the  railroad  and  accordingly  when 
they  lost  the  track  of  the  seven  horses  they  kept 
to  this  direction.  Twice  during  the  day  they 
verified  their  course  by  information  received  once 
from  a  range  rider  and  once  from  a  man  in  a  dusty 
buck-board.  Both  of  these  had  sighted  the  fast 
travelling  band,  but  each  had  seen  it  pass  an  hour 
or  two  before  Calder  and  Dan  arrived.  Such 


The  Three  of  Us  179 

tidings  encouraged  the  marshal  to  keep  his  horse 
at  an  increasing  speed;  but  in  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon,  though  black  Satan  showed  little  or 
no  signs  of  fatigue,  the  cattle-pony  was  nearly 
blown  and  they  were  forced  to  reduce  their  pace 
to  the  ordinary  dog-trot. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
THE  PANTHER'S  PAW 

EVENING  came  and  still  they  had  not  sighted 
the  outlaws.  As  dark  fell  they  drew  near  a  house 
snuggled  away  among  a  group  of  cottonwoods. 
Here  they  determined  to  spend  the  night,  for 
Calder's  pony  was  now  almost  exhausted.  A  man 
of  fifty  came  from  the  house  in  answer  to  their  call 
and  showed  them  the  way  to  the  horse-shed. 
While  they  unsaddled  their  horses  he  told  them 
his  name  was  Sam  Daniels,  yet  he  evinced  no 
curiosity  as  to  the  identity  of  his  guests,  and  they 
volunteered  no  information.  His  eyes  lingered 
long  and  fondly  over  the  exquisite  lines  of  Satan. 
From  behind,  from  the  side,  and  in  front,  he  viewed 
the  stallion  while  Dan  rubbed  down  the  legs  of  his 
mount  with  a  care  which  was  most  foreign  to  the 
ranges.  Finally  the  cattleman  reached  out  a 
hand  toward  the  smoothly  muscled  shoulders. 

It  was  Calder  who  stood  nearest  and  he  man 
aged  to  strike  up  Daniels' s  extended  arm  and  jerk 
him  back  from  the  region  of  danger. 

180 


The  Panther's  Paw  181 

"What'n  hell  is  that  for?"  exclaimed  Daniels. 

"That  horse  is  called  Satan,"  said  Calder,  "and 
when  any  one  save  his  owner  touches  him  he  lives 
up  to  his  name  and  raises  hell. " 

Before  Daniels  could  answer,  the  light  of  his 
lantern  fell  upon  Black  Bart,  hitherto  half  hidden 
by  the  deepening  shadows  of  the  night,  but  stand 
ing  now  at  the  entrance  of  the  shed.  The  cattle 
man's  teeth  clicked  together  and  he  slapped  his 
hand  against  his  thigh  in  a  reach  for  the  gun  which 
was  not  there. 

"Look  behind  you,"  he  said  to  Calder.  "A 
wolf!" 

He  made  a  grab  for  the  marshal's  gun,  but  the 
latter  forestalled  him. 

"Go  easy,  partner,"  he  said,  grinning,  "that's 
only  the  running  mate  of  the  horse.  He's  not  a 
wolf,  at  least  not  according  to  his  owner — and  as 
for  being  wild — look  at  that ! ' ' 

Bart  had  stalked  calmly  into  the  shed  and  now 
lay  curled  up  exactly  beneath  the  feet  of  the 
stallion. 

The  two  guests  received  a  warmer  welcome  from 
Sam  Daniels'  wife  when  they  reached  the  house. 
Their  son,  Buck,  had  been  expected  home  for 
supper,  but  it  was  too  late  for  them  to  delay  the 
meal  longer.  Accordingly  they  sat  down  at  once 


182  The  Untamed 

and  the  dinner  was  nearly  over  when  Buck,  having 
announced  himself  with  a  whoop  as  he  rode  up, 
entered,  banging  the  door  loudly  behind  him.  He 
greeted  the  strangers  with  a  careless  wave  of  the 
hand  and  sat  down  at  the  table.  His  mother 
placed  food  silently  before  him.  No  explanations 
of  his  tardiness  were  asked  and  none  were  offered. 
The  attitude  of  his  father  indicated  clearly  that  the 
boy  represented  the  earning  power  of  the  family. 
He  was  a  big  fellow  with  broad,  thick  wrists,  and  a 
straight  black  eye.  When  he  had  eaten,  he  broke 
into  breezy  conversation,  and  especially  of  a  vi 
cious  mustang  he  had  ridden  on  a  bet  the  day 
before. 

"Speakin'  of  hosses,  Buck,"  said  his  father, 
"they's  a  black  out  in  the  shed  right  now  that'd 
make  your  eyes  jest  nacherally  pop  out'n  their 
sockets.  No  more'n  fifteen  hands,  but  a  reg'lar 
picture.  Must  be  greased  lightnin'." 

"I've  heard  talk  of  these  streaks  of  greased 
lightnin',"  said  Buck,  with  a  touch  of  scorn,  "but 
I'll  stack  old  Mike  agin  the  best  of  them." 

"An'  there's  a  dog  along  with  the  hoss — a  dog 
that's  the  nearest  to  a  wolf  of  any  I  ever  seen." 

There  was  a  sudden  change  in  Buck — a  change 
to  be  sensed  rather  than  definitely  noted  with  the 
eye.  It  was  a  stiffening  of  his  body — an  alert- 


The  Panther's  Paw  183 

ness  of  which  he  was  at  pains  to  make  no  show. 
For  almost  immediately  he  began  to  whistle  softly, 
idly,  his  eyes  roving  carelessly  across  the  wall  while 
he  tilted  back  in  his  chair.  Dan  dropped  his  hand 
close  to  the  butt  of  his  gun.  Instantly,  the  eyes 
of  Buck  flashed  down  and  centred  on  Dan  for  an 
instant  of  keen  scrutiny.  Certainly  Buck  had 
connected  that  mention  of  the  black  horse  and  the 
wolf-dog  with  a  disturbing  idea. 

When  they  went  to  their  room — a  room  in  which 
there  was  no  bed  and  they  had  to  roll  down  their 
blankets  on  the  floor — Dan  opened  the  window  and 
commenced  to  whistle  one  of  his  own  wild  tunes. 
It  seemed  to  Calder  that  there  was  a  break  in  that 
music  here  and  there,  and  a  few  notes  grouped 
together  like  a  call.  In  a  moment  a  shadowy 
figure  leaped  through  the  window,  and  Black  Bart 
landed  on  the  floor  with  soft  padding  feet. 

Recovering  from  his  start  Calder  cursed  softly. 

"What's  the  main  idea?"  he  asked. 

Dan  made  a  signal  for  a  lower  tone. 

"There  ain't  no  idea,"  he  answered,  "but  these 
Daniels  people — do  you  know  anything  about 
them?" 

"No.     Why?" 

"They  interest  me,  that's  all." 

4 '  Anything  wrong  ? ' ' 


1 84  The  Untamed 

"I  guess  not." 

"Why  did  you  whistle  for  this  infernal  wolf? 
It  makes  me  nervous  to  have  him  around.  Get 
out,  Bart." 

The  wolf  turned  a  languid  eye  upon  the  marshal. 

' '  Let  him  be, "  said  Dan.  ' '  I  don't  feel  no  ways 
nacheral  without  havin'  Bart  around." 

The  marshal  made  no  farther  objections,  and 
having  rolled  himself  in  his  blankets  was  almost 
immediately  asleep  and  breathing  heavily.  The 
moment  Dan  heard  his  companion  draw  breath 
with  a  telltale  regularity,  he  sat  up  again  in  his 
blankets.  Bart  was  instantly  at  his  side.  He 
patted  the  shaggy  head  lightly,  and  pointed  to 
wards  the  door. 

"Guard!"  he  whispered. 

Then  he  lay  down  and  was  immediately  asleep. 
Bart  crouched  at  his  feet  with  his  head  pointed 
directly  at  the  door. 

In  other  rooms  there  was  the  sound  of  the 
Daniels  family  going  to  bed — noises  distinctly 
heard  throughout  the  flimsy  frame  of  the  house. 
After  that  a  deep  silence  fell  which  lasted  many 
hours,  but  in  that  darkest  moment  which  just 
precedes  the  dawn,  a  light  creaking  came  up  the 
hall.  It  was  very  faint  and  it  occurred  only  at  long 
intervals,  but  at  the  first  sound  Black  Bart  raised 


The  Panther's  Paw  185 

his  head  from  his  paws  and  stared  at  the  door  with 
those  glowing  eyes  which  see  in  the  dark. 

Now  another  sound  came,  still  soft,  regular. 
There  was  a  movement  of  the  door.  In  the  pitch 
dark  a  man  could  never  have  noticed  it,  but  it  was 
plainly  visible  to  the  wolf.  Still  more  visible, 
when  the  door  finally  stood  wide,  was  the  form  of 
the  man  who  stood  in  the  opening.  In  one  hand  he 
carried  a  lantern  thoroughly  hooded,  but  not  so 
well  wrapped  that  it  kept  back  a  single  ray  which 
flashed  on  a  revolver.  The  intruder  made  a  step 
forward,  a  step  as  light  as  the  fall  of  feathers,  but  it 
was  not  hall  so  stealthy  as  the  movement  of  Black 
Barb  as  he  slunk  towards  the  door.  He  had  been 
warned  to  watch  that  door,  but  it  did  not  need 
a  warning  to  tell  him  that  a  danger  was  approach 
ing  the  sleeping  master.  In  the  crouched  form  of 
the  man,  in  the  cautious  step,  he  recognized  the 
unmistakable  stalking  of  one  who  hunts.  An 
other  soft  step  the  man  made  forward. 

Then,  with  appalling  suddenness,  a  blacker 
shadow  shot  up  from  the  deep  night  of  the  floor, 
and  white  teeth  gleamed  before  the  stranger's  face. 
He  threw  up  his  hand  to  save  his  throat.  The 
teeth  sank  into  his  arm — a  driving  weight  hurled 
him  against  the  wall  and  then  to  the  floor — the 
revolver  and  the  lantern  dropped  clattering,  and 


1 86  The  Untamed 

the  latter,  rolling  from  its  wrapping,  flooded  the 
room  with  light.  But  neither  man  nor  wolf 
uttered  a  sound. 

Calder  was  standing,  gun  in  hand,  but  too 
bewildered  to  act,  while  Dan,  as  if  he  were  playing 
a  part  long  rehearsed,  stood  covering  the  fallen 
form  of  Buck  Daniels. 

"Stand  back  from  him,  Bart!"  he  commanded. 

The  wolf  slipped  off  a  pace,  whining  with  hor 
rible  eagerness,  for  he  had  tasted  blood.  Far 
away  a  shout  came  from  Sam  Daniels.  Dan 
lowered  his  gun. 

"Stand  up,"  he  ordered. 

The  big  fellow  picked  himself  up  and  stood 
against  the  wall  with  the  blood  streaming  down  his 
right  arm.  Still  he  said  nothing  and  his  keen 
eyes  darted  from  Calder  to  Whistling  Dan. 

"Give  me  a  strip  of  that  old  shirt  over  there, 
will  you,  Tex?"  said  Dan,  "an'  keep  him  covered 
while  I  tie  up  his  arm." 

Before  Calder  could  move,  old  Daniels  appeared 
at  the  door,  a  heavy  Colt  in  his  hand.  For  a 
moment  he  stood  dumbfounded,  but  then,  with  a 
cry,  jerked  up  his  gun — a  quick  movement,  but  a 
fraction  of  a  second  too  slow,  for  the  hand  of  Dan 
darted  out  and  his  knuckles  struck  the  wrist  of  the 
old  cattleman.  The  Colt  rattled  on  the  floor. 


The  Panther's  Paw  187 

Ke  lunged  after  his  weapon,  but  the  voice  of  Buck 
stopped  him  short. 

"The  game's  up,  Dad,"  he  growled,  "that  older 
feller  is  Tex  Calder." 

The  name,  like  a  blow  in  the  face,  straight 
ened  old  Daniels  and  left  him  white  and 
blinking.  Whistling  Dan  turned  his  back  on 
the  father  and  deftly  bound  up  the  lacerated  arm 
of  Buck. 

"In  the  name  o'  God,  Buck,"  moaned  Sam, 
"what  you  been  tryin'  to  do  in  here?" 

"What  you'd  do  if  you  had  the  guts  for  it. 
That's  Tex  Calder  an'  this  is  Dan  Barry.  They're 
on  the  trail  of  big  Jim.  I  wanted  to  put  'em  off 
that  trail." 

"Look  here,"  said  Calder,  "how'd  you  know 
us?" 

"I've  said  my  little  say,"  said  Buck  sullenly, 
"an'  you'll  get  no  more  out  of  me  between  here  an' 
any  hell  you  can  take  me  to." 

' '  He  knew  us  when  his  father  talked  about  Satan 
an'  Black  Bart,"  said  Dan  to  Tex.  "Maybe  he's 
one  of  Silent's." 

"Buck,  for  God's  sake  tell  'em  you  know  nothin' 
of  Silent,"  cried  old  Daniels.  "Boy,  boy,  it's 
hangin'  for  you  if  they  get  you  to  Elkhead  an' 
charge  you  with  that!" 


i88  The  Untamed 

"Dad,  you're  a  fool,"  said  Buck.  "I  ain't 
goin'  down  on  my  knees  to  'em.  Not  me." 

Calder,  still  keeping  Buck  covered  with  his  gun, 
drew  Dan  a  little  to  one  side. 

"What  can  we  do  with  this  fellow,  Dan?"  he 
said.  "Shall  we  give  up  the  trail  and  take  him 
over  to  Elkhead?" 

"An"  break  the  heart  of  the  ol'  man? " 

"Buck  is  one  of  the  gang,  that's  certain." 

"Get  Silent  an'  there  won't  be  no  gang  left." 

"But  we  caught  this  chap  in  red  blood " 

"He  ain't  very  old,  Tex.  Maybe  he  could 
change.  I  think  he  ain't  been  playin'  Silent's 
game  any  too  long." 

"We  can't  let  him  go.  It  isn't  in  reason  to  do 
that." 

"I  ain't  thinkin'  of  reason.  I'm  thinkin'  of  old 
Sam  an'  his  wife." 

"And  if  we  turn  him  loose?" 

"He'll  be  your  man  till  he  dies." 

Calder  scowled. 

"The  whole  range  is  filled  with  these  silent 
partners  of  the  outlaws — but  maybe  you're  right, 
Dan.  Look  at  them  now!" 

The  father  was  standing  close  to  his  son  and 
pouring  out  a  torrent  of  appeal — evidently  begging 
him  in  a  low  voice  to  disavow  any  knowledge  of 


The  Panther's  Paw  189 

Silent  and  his  crew,  but  Buck  shook  his  head 
sullenly.  He  had  given  up  hope.  Calder  ap 
proached  them. 

"Buck, "  he  said,  "I  suppose  you  know  that  you 
could  be  hung  for  what  you've  tried  to  do  tonight. 
If  the  law  wouldn't  hang  you  a  lynching  party 
would.  No  jail  would  be  strong  enough  to  keep 
them  away  from  you." 

Buck  was  silent,  dogged. 

"But  suppose  we  were  to  let  you  go  scot  free?" 

Buck  started.     A  great  flush  covered  his  face. 

"I'm  taking  the  advice  of  Dan  Barry  in  doing 
this,"  said  Calder.  "Barry  thinks  you  could  go 
straight.  Tell  me  man  to  man,  if  I  give  you  the 
chance  will  you  break  loose  from  Silent  and  his 
gang?" 

A  moment  before,  Buck  had  been  steeled  for  the 
worst,  but  this  sudden  change  loosened  all  the 
bonds  of  his  pride.  He  stammered  and  choked. 
Calder  turned  abruptly  away. 

"Dan,"  he  said,  "here's  the  dawn,  and  it's  time 
for  us  to  hit  the  trail." 

They  rolled  their  blankets  hastily  and  broke 
away  from  the  gratitude  which  poured  like  water 
from  the  heart  of  old  Sam.  They  were  in  their 
saddles  when  Buck  came  beside  Dan.  His  pride, 
his  shame,  and  his  gratitude  broke  his  voice. 


The  Untamed 


"I  ain't  much  on  words,"  he  said,  "but  it's 
I'mthankin'!" 

His  hand  reached  up  hesitatingly,  and  Dan 
caught  it  in  a  firm  grip. 

"Why,"  he  said  gently,  "even  Satan  here 
stumbles  now  an'  then,  but  that  ain't  no 
reason  I  should  get  rid  of  him.  Good  luck  — 
partner!" 

He  shook  the  reins  and  the  stallion  leaped 
off  after  Calder's  trotting  pony.  Buck  Daniels 
stood  motionless  looking  after  them,  and  his  eyes 
were  very  dim. 

For  an  hour  Dan  and  Tex  were  on  the  road 
before  the  sun  looked  over  the  hills.  Calder  halted 
his  horse  to  watch. 

"Dan,"  he  said  at  last,  "I  used  to  think  there 
were  only  two  ways  of  handling  men  —  one  with  the 
velvet  touch  and  one  with  the  touch  of  steel. 
Mine  has  been  the  way  of  steel,  but  I  begin  to  see 
there's  a  third  possibility  —  the  touch  of  the  pan 
ther's  paw  —  the  velvet  with  the  steel  claws  hid 
beneath.  That's  your  way,  and  I  wonder  if  it 
isn't  the  best.  I  think  Buck  Daniels  would  be 
glad  to  die  for  you!" 

He  turned  directly  to  Dan. 

"But  all  this  is  aside  from  the  point,  which  is 
that  the  whole  country  is  full  of  these  silent 


The  Panther's  Paw  191 

partners  of  the  outlaws.  The  law  plays  a  lone 
hand  in  the  mountain-desert." 

"You've  played  the  lone  hand  and  won  twenty 
times,"  said  Dan. 

"Ay,  but  the  twenty-first  time  I  may  fail.  The 
difference  between  success  and  failure  in  this 
country  is  just  the  length  of  time  it  takes  to  pull  a 
trigger — and  Silent  is  fast  with  a  gun.  He's  the 
root  of  the  outlaw  power.  We  may  kill  a  hundred 
men,  but  till  he's  gone  we've  only  mowed  the 
weeds,  not  pulled  them.  But  what's  the  use  of 
talking?  One  second  will  tell  the  tale  when  I 
stand  face  to  face  with  Jim  Silent  and  we  go  for 
our  six-guns.  And  somewhere  between  that  ris 
ing  sun  and  those  mountains  I'll  find  Jim  Silent 
and  the  end  of  things  for  one  of  us." 

He  started  his  cattle-pony  into  a  sudden  gallop, 
and  they  drove  on  into  the  bright  morning. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

CAIN 

HARDLY  a  score  of  miles  away,  Jim  Silent  and  his 
six  companions  topped  a  hill.  He  raised  his  hand 
and  the  others  drew  rein  beside  him.  Kate 
Cumberland  shifted  her  weight  a  little  to  one  side 
of  the  saddle  to  rest  and  looked  down  from  the 
crest  on  the  sweep  of  country  below.  A  mile 
away  the  railroad  made  a  streak  of  silver  light 
across  the  brown  range  and  directly  before  them 
stood  the  squat  station-house  with  red-tiled  roof. 
Just  before  the  house,  a  slightly  broader  streak  of 
that  gleaming  light  showed  the  position  of  the 
siding  rails.  She  turned  her  head  towards  the 
outlaws.  They  were  listening  to  the  final  direc 
tions  of  their  chief,  and  the  darkly  intent  faces  told 
their  own  story.  She  knew,  from  what  she  had 
gathered  of  their  casual  hints,  that  this  was  to  be 
the  scene  of  the  train  hold-up. 

It  seemed  impossible  that  this  little  group  of 
men  could  hold  the  great  fabric  of  a  train  with  all 

192 


Cain  193 

its  scores  of  passengers  at  their  mercy.  In  spite 
of  herself,  half  her  heart  wished  them  success. 
There  was  Terry  Jordan  forgetful  of  the  wound 
in  his  arm;  Shorty  Rhinehart,  his  saturnine  face 
longer  and  more  calamitous  than  ever ;  Hal  Purvis, 
grinning  and  nodding  his  head;  Bill  Kilduff  with 
his  heavy  jaw  set  like  a  bull  dog's;  Lee  Haines, 
with  a  lock  of  tawny  hair  blowing  over  his  fore 
head,  smiling  faintly  as  he  listened  to  Silent  as  if 
he  heard  a  girl  tell  a  story  of  love;  and  finally 
Jim  Silent  himself,  huge,  solemn,  confident.  She 
began  to  feel  that  these  six  men  were  worth  six 
hundred. 

She  hated  them  for  some  reasons;  she  feared 
them  for  others ;  but  the  brave  blood  of  Joe  Cum 
berland  was  thick  in  her  and  she  loved  the  danger 
of  the  coming  moment.  Their  plans  were  finally 
agreed  upon,  their  masks  arranged,  and  after 
Haines  had  tied  a  similar  visor  over  Kate's  face, 
they  started  down  the  hill  at  a  swinging  gallop. 

In  front  of  the  house  of  the  station-agent  they 
drew  up,  and  while  the  others  were  at  their  horses, 
Lee  Haines  dismounted  and  rapped  loudly  at 
the  door.  It  was  opened  by  a  grey -bearded  man 
smoking  a  pipe.  Haines  covered  him.  He  tossed 
up  his  hands  and  the  pipe  dropped  from  his 
mouth. 


194  The  Untamed 

"Who's  in  the  house  here  with  you?"  asked 
Haines. 

"Not  a  soul!"  stammered  the  man.  "If  you're 
lookin'  for  money  you  c'n  run  through  the  house. 
You  won't  find  a  thing  worth  takin'." 

"I  don't  want  money.  I  want  you,"  said 
Haines;  and  immediately  explained,  "you're  per 
fectly  safe.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  be  obliging. 
As  for  the  money,  you  just  throw  open  that 
switch  and  flag  the  train  when  she  rolls  along  in  a 
few  moments.  We'll  take  care  of  the  rest.  You 
don't  have  to  keep  your  hands  up." 

The  hands  came  down  slowly.  For  a  brief 
instant  the  agent  surveyed  Haines  and  the  group 
of  masked  men  who  sat  their  horses  a  few  paces 
away,  and  then  without  a  word  he  picked  up  his 
flag  from  behind  the  door  and  walked  out  of  the 
house.  Throughout  the  affair  he  never  uttered  a 
syllable.  Haines  walked  up  to  the  head  of  the 
siding  with  him  while  he  opened  the  switch  and 
accompanied  him  back  to  the  point  opposite  the 
station-house  to  see  that  he  gave  the  "stop"  signal 
correctly.  In  the  meantime  two  of  the  other 
outlaws  entered  the  little  station,  bound  the  tele 
grapher  hand  and  foot,  and  shattered  his  instru 
ment.  That  would  prevent  the  sending  of  any  call 
for  help  after  the  hold-up.  Purvis  and  Jordan 


Cain  195 

(since  Terry  could  shoot  with  his  left  hand  in  case 
of  need)  went  to  the  other  side  of  the  track  and  lay 
down  against  the  grade.  It  was  their  business  to 
open  fire  on  the  tops  of  the  windows  as  the  train 
drew  to  a  stop.  That  would  keep  the  passengers 
inside.  The  other  four  were  distributed  along  the 
side  nearest  to  the  station-house.  Shorty  Rhine- 
hart  and  Bill  Kilduff  were  to  see  that  no  passengers 
broke  out  from  the  train  and  attempted  a  flank 
attack.  Haines  would  attend  to  having  the  fire 
box  of  the  engine  flooded.  For  the  cracking  of  the 
safe,  Silent  carried  the  stick  of  dynamite. 

Now  the  long  wait  began.  There  is  a  dreamlike 
quality  about  bright  mornings  in  the  open  country, 
and  everything  seemed  unreal  to  Kate.  It  was 
impossible  that  tragedy  should  come  on  such  a  day. 
The  moments  stole  on.  She  saw  Silent  glance 
twice  at  his  watch  and  scowl.  Evidently  the  train 
was  late  and  possibly  they  would  give  up  the 
attempt.  Then  a  light  humming  caught  her 
ear. 

She  held  her  breath  and  listened  again.  It  was 
unmistakable — a  slight  thing — a  tremor  to  be  felt 
rather  than  heard.  She  saw  Haines  peering  un 
der  shaded  eyes  far  down  the  track,  and  following 
the  direction  of  his  gaze  she  saw  a  tiny  spot  of  haze 
on  the  horizon.  The  tiny  puff  of  smoke  developed 


196  The  Untamed 

to  a  deeper,  louder  note.  The  station-agent  took 
his  place  on  the  track. 

Now  the  train  bulked  big,  the  engine  wavering 
slightly  to  the  unevenness  of  the  road  bed.  The 
flag  of  the  station-agent  moved.  Kate  closed  her 
eyes  and  set  her  teeth.  There  was  a  rumbling 
and  puffing  and  a  mighty  grinding — a  shout  some 
where — the  rattle  of  a  score  of  pistol  shots — she 
opened  her  eyes  to  see  the  train  rolling  to  a  stop 
on  the  siding  directly  before  her. 

Kilduff  and  Shorty  Rhinehart,  crouching  against 
the  grade,  were  splintering  the  windows  one  by  one 
with  nicely  placed  shots.  The  baggage-cars  were 
farther  up  the  siding  than  Silent  calculated.  He 
and  Haines  now  ran  towards  the  head  of  the 
train. 

The  fireman  and  engineer  jumped  from  their 
cab,  holding  their  arms  stifHy  above  their  heads; 
and  Haines  approached  with  poised  revolver  to 
make  them  flood  the  fire  box.  In  this  way  the 
train  would  be  delayed  for  some  time  and  before  it 
could  send  out  the  alarm  the  bandits  would  be  far 
from  pursuit.  Haines  had  already  reached  the 
locomotive  and  Silent  was  running  towards  the 
first  baggage-car  when  the  door  of  that  car  slid 
open  and  at  the  entrance  appeared  two  men  with 
rifles  at  their  shoulders.  As  they  opened  fire 


Cain  197 

Silent  pitched  to  the  ground.  Kate  set  her  teeth 
and  forced  her  eyes  to  stay  open. 

Even  as  the  outlaw  fell  his  revolver  spoke  and 
one  of  the  men  threw  up  his  hands  with  a  yell  and 
pitched  out  of  the  open  door.  His  companion 
still  kept  his  post,  pumping  shots  at  the  prone 
figure.  Twice  more  the  muzzle  of  Silent's  gun 
jerked  up  and  the  second  man  crumpled  on  the 
floor  of  the  car. 

A  great  hissing  and  a  jetting  cloud  of  steam 
announced  that  Haines  had  succeeded  in  flooding 
the  fire  box.  Silent  climbed  into  the  first  baggage- 
car,  stepping,  as  he  did  so,  on  the  limp  body  of 
the  Wells  Fargo  agent,  who  lay  on  the  road  bed.  A 
moment  later  he  flung  out  the  body  of  the  second 
messenger.  The  man  flopped  on  the  ground 
heavily,  face  downwards,  and  then — greatest 
horror  of  all ! — dragged  himself  to  his  hands  and 
knees  and  began  to  crawl  laboriously.  Kate  ran 
and  dropped  to  her  knees  beside  him. 

"Are  you  hurt  badly?"  she  pleaded.  "Where? 
Where?" 

He  sagged  to  the  ground  and  lay  on  his  left  side, 
breathing  heavily. 

"Where  is  the  wound?"  she  repeated. 

He  attempted  to  speak,  but  only  a  bloody 
froth  came  to  his  lips.  That  was  sufficient 


198  The  Untamed 

to  tell  her  that  he  had  been  shot  through  the 
lungs. 

She  tore  open  his  shirt  and  found  two  purple 
spots  high  on  the  chest,  one  to  the  right,  and  one  to 
the  left.  From  that  on  the  left  ran  a  tiny  trickle 
of  blood,  but  that  on  the  right  was  only  a  small 
puncture  in  the  midst  of  a  bruise.  He  was  far 
past  all  help. 

"Speak  to  me!"  she  pleaded. 

His  eyes  rolled  and  then  checked  on  her  face. 

"Done  for,"  he  said  in  a  horrible  whisper, 
"that  devil  done  me.  Kid — cut  out — this  life. 
I've  played  this  game — myself — an'  now — I'm 
goin'— to  hell  for  it!" 

A  great  convulsion  twisted  his  face. 

"What  can  I  do?"  cried  Kate. 

"Tell  the  world— I  died— game!" 

His  body  writhed,  and  in  the  last  agony  his  hand 
closed  hard  over  hers.  It  was  like  a  silent  farewell, 
that  strong  clasp. 

A  great  hand  caught  her  by  the  shoulder  and 
jerked  her  to  her  feet. 

' '  The  charge  ic  goin '  off !  Jump  for  it ! "  shouted 
Silent  in  her  ear. 

She  sprang  up  and  at  the  same  time  there  was  a 
great  boom  from  within  the  car.  The  side  bulged 
out — a  section  of  the  top  lifted  and  fell  back  with 


Cain  199 

y,  crash — and  Silent  ran  back  into  the  smoke. 
Haines,  Purvis,  and  Kilduff  were  instantly  at 
the  car,  taking  the  ponderous  little  canvas  sacks  of 
coin  as  their  chief  handed  them  out. 

Within  two  minutes  after  the  explosion  ten  small 
sacks  were  deposited  in  the  saddlebags  on  the 
horses  which  stood  before  the  station-house. 
Silent's  whistle  called  in  Terry  Jordan  and  Shorty 
Rhinehart — a  sharp  order  forced  Kate  to  climb 
into  her  saddle — and  the  train  robbers  struck  up 
the  hillside  at  a  racing  pace.  A  confused  shouting 
rose  behind  them.  Rifles  commenced  to  crack 
where  some  of  the  passengers  had  taken  up  the 
weapons  of  the  dead  guards,  but  the  bullets  flew 
wide,  and  the  little  troop  was  soon  safely  out  of 
range. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  hill-top  they  changed 
their  course  to  the  right.  For  half  an  hour  the 
killing  pace  continued,  and  then,  as  there  was  not 
a  sign  of  immediate  chase,  the  lone  riders  drew 
down  to  a  soberer  pace.  Silent  called:  "Keep 
bunched  behind  me.  We're  headed  for  the  old 
Salton  place — an'  a  long  rest." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

REAL  MEN 

SOME  people  pointed  out  that  Sheriff  Gus 
Morris  had  never  made  a  single  important  arrest 
in  the  ten  years  during  which  he  had  held  office, 
and  there  were  a  few  slanderers  who  spoke  insinu 
atingly  of  the  manner  in  which  the  lone  riders 
flourished  in  Morris's  domain.  These  "knockers," 
however,  were  voted  down  by  the  vast  majority, 
who  swore  that  the  sheriff  was  the  finest  fellow  who 
ever  threw  leg  over  saddle.  They  liked  him  for 
his  inexhaustible  good-nature,  the  mellow  baritone 
in  which  he  sang  the  range  songs  at  any  one's 
request,  and  perhaps  more  than  all,  for  the  very 
laxness  with  which  he  conducted  his  work.  They 
had  had  enough  of  the  old  school  of  sheriffs  who 
lived  a  few  months  gun  in  hand  and  died  fighting 
from  the  saddle.  The  office  had  never  seemed 
desirable  until  Gus  Morris  ran  for  it  and  smiled 
his  way  to  a  triumphant  election. 

Before  his  career  as  an  office-holder  began,  he 


Real  Men  201 

I 

ran  a  combined  general  merchandise  store,  saloon, 
and  hotel.  That  is  to  say,  he  ran  the  hostelry  in 
name.  The  real  executive  head,  general  manager, 
clerk,  bookkeeper,  and  cook,  and  sometimes  even 
bar-tender  was  his  daughter,  Jacqueline.  She 
found  the  place  only  a  saloon,  and  a  poorly  patron 
ized  one  at  that.  Her  unaided  energy  gradually 
made  it  into  a  hotel,  restaurant,  and  store.  Even 
while  her  father  was  in  office  he  spent  most  of 
his  time  around  the  hotel;  but  no  matter  how 
important  he  might  be  elsewhere,  in  his  own  house 
he  had  no  voice.  There  the  only  law  was  the 
will  of  Jacqueline. 

Out  of  the  stable  behind  this  hostelry  Dan  and 
Tex  Calder  walked  on  the  evening  of  the  train 
robbery.  They  had  reached  the  place  of  the  hold 
up  a  full  two  hours  after  Silent's  crew  departed; 
and  the  fireman  and  engineer  had  been  working 
frantically  during  the  interim  to  clean  out  the 
soaked  fire  box  and  get  up  steam  again.  Tex  looked 
at  the  two  dead  bodies,  spoke  to  the  conductor, 
and  then  cut  short  the  voluble  explanations  of  a 
score  of  passengers  by  turning  his  horse  and  riding 
away,  followed  by  Dan.  All  that  day  he  was 
gloomily  silent.  It  was  a  shrewd  blow  at  his 
reputation,  for  the  outlaws  had  actually  carried  out 
the  robbery  while  he  was  on  their  trail.  Not 


2O2  The  Untamed 

till  they  came  out  of  the  horse-shed  after  stabling 
their  horses  did  he  speak  freely. 

"Dan,"  he  said,  "do  you  know  anything  about 
Sheriff  Gus  Morris?" 

"No" 

"Then  listen  to  this  and  salt  every  word  away. 
I'm  an  officer  of  the  law,  but  I  won't  tell  that  to 
Morris.  I  hope  he  doesn't  know  me.  If  he  does 
it  will  spoil  our  game.  I  am  almost  certain  he  is 
playing  a  close  hand  with  the  lone  riders.  I'll 
wager  he'd  rather  see  a  stick  of  dynamite  than  a 
marshal.  Remember  when  we  get  in  that  place 
that  we're  not  after  Jim  Silent  or  any  one  else. 
We're  simply  travelling  cowboys.  No  questions. 
I  expect  to  learn  something  about  the  location  of 
Silent's  gang  while  we're  here,  but  we'll  never  find 
out  except  by  hints  and  chance  remarks.  We 
have  to  watch  Morris  like  hawks.  If  he  suspects 
us  he'll  find  a  way  to  let  Silent  know  we're  here  and 
then  the  hunters  will  be  hunted." 

In  the  house  they  found  a  dozen  cattlemen 
sitting  down  at  the  table  in  the  dining-room.  As 
they  entered  the  room  the  sheriff,  who  sat  at  the 
head  of  the  table,  waved  his  hand  to  them. 

"H'ware  ye,  boys?"  he  called.  "You'll  find  a 
couple  of  chairs  right  in  the  next  room.  Got  two 
extra  plates,  Jac?" 


Real  Men  203 

As  Dan  followed  Tex  after  the  chairs  he  noticed 
the  sheriff  beckon  to  one  of  the  men  who  sat  near 
him.  As  they  returned  with  the  chairs  someone 
was  leaving  the  room  by  another  door. 

"Tex,"  he  said,  as  they  sat  down  side  by  side, 
"when  we  left  the  dining-room  for  ;he  chairs,  the 
sheriff  spoke  to  one  of  the  boys  and  as  we  came 
back  one  of  them  was  leavin'  through  another  door. 
D'you  think  Morris  knew  you  when  you  came 
in?" 

Calder  frowned  thoughtfully  and  then  shook  his 
head. 

"No,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice.  "I  watched  him 
like  a  hawk  when  we  entered.  He  didn't  bat  an 
eye  when  he  saw  me.  If  he  recognized  me  he's 
the  greatest  actor  in  the  world,  bar  none!  No, 
Dan,  he  doesn't  know  us  from  Adam  and  Abel." 

"All  right,"  said  Dan,  "but  I  don't  like  some- 
thin'  about  this  place — maybe  it's  the  smell  of  the 
air.  Tex,  take  my  advice  an'  keep  your  gun  ready 
for  the  fastest  draw  you  ever  made." 

"Don't  worry  about  me,"  smiled  Calder. 
"How  about  yourself?" 

"Hello,"  broke  in  Jacqueline  from  the  end  of 
the  table.  ' '  Look  who  we've  picked  in  the  draw ! " 

Her  voice  was  musical,  but  her  accent  and 
manner  were  those  of  a  girl  who  has  lived  all  her 


204  The  Untamed 

life  among  men  and  has  caught  their  ways — with 
an  exaggeration  of  that  self-confidence  which  a 
woman  always  feels  among  Western  men.  Her 
blue  eyes  were  upon  Dan. 

"Ain't  you  a  long  ways  from  home?"  she  went 
on. 

The  rest  of  the  table,  perceiving  the  drift  of  her 
badgering,  broke  into  a  rumbling  bass  chuckle. 

"Quite  a  ways,"  said  Dan,  and  his  wide  brown 
eyes  looked  seriously  back  at  her. 

A  yell  of  delight  came  from  the  men  at  this  naive 
rejoinder.  Dan  looked  about  him  with  a  sort  of 
childish  wonder.  Calder's  anxious  whisper  came 
at  his  side:  "Don't  let  them  get  you  mad,  Dan!" 
Jacqueline,  having  scored  so  heavily  with  her  first 
shot,  was  by  no  means  willing  to  give  up  her 
sport. 

"With  them  big  eyes,  for  a  starter,"  she  said, 
"all  you  need  is  long  hair  to  be  perfect.  Do  your 
folks  generally  let  you  run  around  like  this?" 

Every  man  canted  his  ear  to  get  the  answer  and 
already  they  were  grinning  expectantly. 

"I  don't  go  out  much,"  returned  the  soft  voice 
of  Dan,  "an'  when  I  do,  I  go  with  my  friend,  here. 
He  takes  care  of  me." 

Another  thunder  of  laughter  broke  out.  Jac 
queline  had  apparently  uncovered  a  tenderfoot^ 


Real  Men  205 

and  a  rare  one  even  for  that  absurd  species.  A 
sandy-haired  cattle  puncher  who  sat  close  to 
Jacqueline  now  took  the  cue  from  the  mistress  of 
the  house. 

"Ain't  you  a  bit  scared  when  you  get  around 
among  real  men?"  he  asked,  leering  up  the  table 
towards  Dan. 

The  latter  smiled  gently  upon  him. 

"I  reckon  maybe  I  am,"  he  said  amiably. 

"Then  you  must  be  shakin'  in  your  boots  right 
now,  "  said  the  other  over  the  sound  of  the  laughter. 

"No,  said  Dan,"  "I  feel  sort  of  comfortable." 

The  other  replied  with  a  frown  that  would  have 
intimidated  a  balky  horse. 

"What  d'you  mean?  Ain't  you  jest  said  men 
made  you  sort  of — nervous?" 

He  imitated  the  soft  drawl  of  Dan  with  his  last 
words  and  raised  another  yell  of  delight  from  the 
crowd.  Whistling  Dan  turned  his  gentle  eyes 
upon  Jacqueline. 

"Pardon  me,  ma'am,"  he  began. 

An  instant  hush  fell  on  the  men.  They  would 
not  miss  one  syllable  of  the  delightful  remarks  of 
this  rarest  of  all  tenderfoots,  and  the  prelude  of 
this  coming  utterance  promised  something  that 
would  eclipse  all  that  had  gone  before. 

"Talk  right  out,  Brown-eyes,"  said  Jacqueline, 


206  The  Untamed 

wiping  the  tears  of  delight  from  her  eyes.  "Talk 
right  out  as  if  you  was  a  man.  /  won't  hurt  you." 

"I  jest  wanted  to  ask,"  said  Dan,  "if  these  are 
real  men?" 

The  ready  laughter  started,  checked,  and  died 
suddenly  away.  The  cattlemen  looked  at  each 
other  in  puzzled  surprise. 

"Don't  they  look  like  it  to  you,  honey?"  asked 
Jacqueline  curiously. 

Dan  allowed  his  eyes  to  pass  lingeringly  around 
the  table  from  face  to  face. 

"I  dunno,"  he  said  at  last,  "they  look  sort  of 
queer  to  me." 

"For  God's  sake  cut  this  short,  Dan,"  pleaded 
Tex  Calder  in  an  undertone.  ' '  Let  them  have  all 
the  rope  they  want.  Don't  trip  up  our  party 
before  we  get  started." 

"Queer?"  echoed  Jacqueline,  and  there  was  a 
deep  murmur  from  the  men. 

"Sure,"  said  Dan,  smiling  upon  her  again, 
"they  all  wear  their  guns  so  awful  high." 

Out  of  the  dead  silence  broke  the  roar  of  the 
sandy-haired  man:  "What'n  hell  d'you  mean  by 
that?" 

Dan  leaned  forward  on  one  elbow,  his  right  hand 
free  and  resting  on  the  edge  of  the  table,  but  still 
his  smile  was  almost  a  caress. 


Real  Men  207 

"Why,"  he  said,  "maybe  you  c'n  explain  it  to 
me.  Seems  to  me  that  all  these  guns  is  wore  so 
high  they's  more  for  ornament  than  use." 

"You  damned  pup —  "  began  Sandy. 

He  stopped  short  and  stared  with  a  peculiar 
fascination  at  Dan,  who  started  to  speak  again. 
His  voice  had  changed — not  greatly,  for  its  pitch 
was  the  same  and  the  drawl  was  the  same — but 
there  was  a  purr  in  it  that  made  every  man  stiffen 
in  his  chair  and  make  sure  that  his  right  hand  was 
free.  The  ghost  of  his  former  smile  was  still  on 
his  lips,  but  it  was  his  eyes  that  seemed  to  fascinate 
Sandy. 

"Maybe  I'm  wrong,  partner,"  he  was  saying, 
"an'  maybe  you  c'n  prove  that  your  gun  ain't  jest 
ornamental  hardware?" 

What  followed  was  very  strange.  Sandy  was  a 
brave  man  and  everyone  at  that  table  knew  it. 
They  waited  for  the  inevitable  to  happen.  They 
waited  for  Sandy's  lightning  move  for  his  gun. 
They  waited  for  the  flash  and  the  crack  of  the 
revolver.  It  did  not  come.  There  followed  a  still 
more  stunning  wonder. 

"You  c'n  see,"  went  on  that  caressing  voice  of 
Dan,  "that  everyone  is  waitin'  for  you  to  demon 
strate — which  the  lady  is  most  special  interested." 

And  still  Sandy  did  not  move  that  significant 


208  The  Untamed 

right  hand.  It  remained  fixed  in  air  a  few  inches 
above  the  table,  the  fingers  stiffly  spread.  He 
moistened  his  white  lips.  Then — most  strange  of 
all! — his  eyes  shifted  and  wandered  away  from 
the  face  of  Whistling  Dan.  The  others  exchanged 
incredulous  glances.  The  impossible  had  hap 
pened — Sandy  had  taken  water!  The  sheriff 
was  the  first  to  recover,  though  his  forehead  was 
shining  with  perspiration. 

' '  What's  all  this  stuff  about  ?"  he  called.  ' '  Hey, 
Sandy,  quit  pickin'  trouble  with  the  stranger!" 

Sandy  seized  the  loophole  through  which  to 
escape  with  his  honour.  He  settled  back  in  his 
chair. 

"All  right,  gov'nor,"  he  said,  "I  won't  go 
spoilin'  your  furniture.  I  won't  hurt  him." 


CHAPTER   XX 

ONE   TRAIL    ENDS 

BUT  this  deceived  no  one.  They  had  seen  him 
palpably  take  water.  A  moment  of  silence  fol 
lowed,  while  Sandy  stared  whitefaced  down  at  the 
table,  avoiding  all  eyes;  but  all  the  elements  of 
good  breeding  exist  under  all  the  roughness  of  the 
West.  It  was  Jacqueline  who  began  with  a  joke 
which  was  rather  old,  but  everyone  appreciated  it 
— at  that  moment — and  the  laughter  lasted  long 
enough  to  restore  some  of  the  colour  to  Sandy's 
face.  A  general  rapid  fire  of  talk  followed. 

"How  did  you  do  it?"  queried  Calder.  "I  was 
all  prepared  for  a  gun-play." 

"Why,  you  seen  I  didn't  do  nothinV 

"Then  what  in  the  world  made  Sandy  freeze 
while  his  hand  was  on  the  way  to  his  gun? " 

"I  dunuo,"  sighed  Dan,  "but  when  I  see  his 
hand  start  movin'  I  sort  of  wanted  his  blood —I 
wanted  him  to  keep  right  on  till  he  got  hold  of  his 
gun — and  maybe  he  seen  it  in  my  eyes  an'  that 
sort  of  changed  his  mind." 
14  209 


2io  The  Untamed 

"I  haven't  the  least  doubt  that  it  did,"  said 
Calder  grimly. 

At  the  foot  of  the  table  Jacqueline's  right-hand 
neighbour  was  saying:  '  What  happened,  Jac?" 

"Don't  ask  me,"  she  replied.  "All  I  know  is 
that  I  don't  think  any  less  of  Sandy  because  he 
backed  down.  I  saw  that  stranger's  face  myself 
an'  I'm  still  sort  of  weak  inside." 

"How  did  he  look?" 

' '  I  dunno.     Jest — jest  hungry.      Understand  ? ' ' 

She  was  silent  for  a  time,  but  she  was  evidently 
thinking  hard.  At  last  she  turned  to  the  same 
man. 

"Did  you  hear  Brown-eyes  say  that  the  broad- 
shouldered  feller  next  to  him  was  his  friend?" 

"Sure.  I  seen  them  ride  in  together.  That 
other  one  looks  like  a  herd  nut,  eh?" 

She  returned  no  answer,  but  after  a  time  her 
eyes  raised  slowly  and  rested  for  a  long  moment  on 
Dan's  face.  It  was  towards  the  end  of  the  meal 
when  she  rose  and  went  towards  the  kitchen.  At 
the  dcor  she  turned,  and  Dan,  though  he  was  look 
ing  down  at  his  plate,  was  conscious  that  someone 
was  observing  him.  He  glanced  up  and  the  mo 
ment  his  eyes  met  hers  she  made  a  significant 
backward  gesture  with  her  hand.  He  hesitated  a 
moment  and  then  shoved  back  his  chair.  Calder 


One  Trail  Ends  211 

busy  talking  to  a  table  mate,  so  he  walked  out 
of  the  house  without  speaking  to  his  companion. 
He  went  to  the  rear  of  the  house  and  as  he  had 
expected  she  was  waiting  for  him. 

"Brown-eyes,"  she  said  swiftly,  "that  feller 
who  sat  beside  you — is  he  your  partner?" 

"I  dunno,"  said  Dan  evasively,  "why  are  you 
askin'?" 

Her  breath  was  coming  audibly  as  if  from  excite- 
ment. 

"Have  you  got  a  fast  hoss?" 

"There  ain't  no  faster." 

"Believe  me,  he  can't  go  none  too  fast  with  you 
tonight.  Maybe  they're  after  you,  too. " 

"Who?" 

"I  can't  tell  you.  Listen  to  me,  Brown-eyes. 
Go  get  your  hoss  an'  feed  him  the  spur  till  you're 
a  hundred  miles  away,  an'  even  then  don't  stop 
runnin'." 

Pie  merely  stared  at  her  curiously. 

She  stamped. 

"Don't  stop  to  talk.  If  they're  after  him  and 
you're  his  partner,  they  probably  want  you,  too.  " 

"I'll  stay  aroun'.  If  they're  curious  about  me, 
I'll  tell  'em  my  name — I'll  even  spell  it  for  'em. 
Who  are  they?" 

"They  are— hell— that's  all." 


212  The  Untamed 

"I'd  like  to  see  'em.     Maybe  they're  real  men." 

"They're  devils.  If  I  told  you  their  names 
you'd  turn  stiff." 

"I'll  take  one  chance.     Tell  me  who  they  are." 

"I  don't  dare  tell  you." 

She  hesitated. 

' '  I  will  tell  you !  You've  made  a  fool  out  of  me 
with  them  big  baby  eyes.  Jim  Silent  is  in  that 
house!" 

He  turned  and  ran,  but  not  for  the  horse-shed; 
he  headed  straight  for  the  open  door  of  the  house. 

In  the  dining-room  two  more  had  left  the  table, 
but  the  rest,  lingering  over  their  fresh  filled  coffee 
cups,  sat  around  telling  tales,  and  Tex  Calder  was 
among  them.  He  was  about  to  push  back  his 
chair  when  the  hum  of  talk  ceased  as  if  at  a  com 
mand.  The  men  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  table 
were  staring  with  fascinated  eyes  at  the  door,  and 
then  a  big  voice  boomed  behind  him :  "Tex  Calder, 
stan'  up.  You've  come  to  the  end  of  the  trail!" 

He  whirled  as  he  rose,  kicking  down  the  chair 
behind  him,  and  stood  face  to  face  with  Jim  Silent. 
The  great  outlaw  was  scowling ;  but  his  gun  was  in 
its  holster  and  his  hands  rested  lightly  on  his  hips. 
It  was  plain  for  all  eyes  to  see  that  he  had  come 
not  to  murder  but  to  fight  a  fair  duel.  Behind  him 


One  Trail  Ends  213 

loomed  the  figure  of  Lee  Haines  scarcely  less  im 
posing. 

All  eternity  seemed  poised  and  waiting  for  the 
second  when  one  of  the  men  would  make  the  move 
for  his  gun.  Not  a  breath  was  drawn  in  the  room. 
Hands  remained  frozen  in  air  in  the  midst  of  a 
gesture.  Lips  which  had  parted  to  speak  did  not 
close.  The  steady  voice  of  the  clock  broke  into 
the  silence — a  dying  space  between  every  tick. 
For  the  second  time  in  his  life  Tex  Calder  knew  fear. 

He  saw  no  mere  man  before  him,  but  his  own 
destiny.  And  he  knew  that  if  he  stood  before  those 
glaring  eyes  another  minute  he  would  become  like 
poor  Sandy  a  few  minutes  before — a  white-faced, 
palsied  coward.  The  shame  of  the  thought  gave 
him  power. 

"Silent,"  he  said,  "there's  a  quick  end  to  the 
longest  trail,  because 

His  hand  darted  down.  No  eye  could  follow 
the  lightning  speed  with  which  he  whipped  out  his 
revolver  and  fanned  it,  but  by  a  mortal  fraction  of 
a  second  the  convulsive  jerk  of  Silent 's  hand 
was  faster  still.  Two  shots  followed — they  were 
rather  like  one  drawn-out  report.  The  woodwork 
splintered  above  the  outlaw's  head;  Tex  Calder 
seemed  to  laugh,  but  his  lips  made  no  sound.  He 
pitched  forward  on  his  face. 


214  The  Untamed 

"He  fired  that  bullet,"  said  Silent,  "after  mine 
hit  him." 

Then  he  leaped  back  through  the  door. 

"Keep  'em  back  one  minute,  Lee,  an'  then  after 
me!"  he  said  as  he  ran.  Haines  stood  in  the  door 
with  folded  arms.  He  knew  that  no  one  would  dare 
to  move  a  hand. 

Two  doors  slammed  at  the  same  moment — the 
front  door  as  Silent  leaped  into  the  safety  of  the 
night,  and  the  rear  door  as  Whistling  Dan  rushed 
into  the  house.  He  stood  at  the  entrance  from 
the  kitchen  to  the  dining-room  half  crouched,  and 
swaying  from  the  suddenness  with  which  he  had 
checked  his  run.  He  saw  the  sprawled  form  of 
Tex  Calder  on  the  floor  and  the  erect  figure  of 
Lee  Haines  just  opposite  him. 

"For  God's  sake!"  screamed  Gus  Morris, 
"don't  shoot,  Haines!  He's  done  nothin'.  Let 
him  go!" 

"My  life — or  his!"  said  Haines  savagely. 
"He's  not  a  man — he's  a  devil!" 

Dan  was  laughing  low — a  sound  like  a  croon. 

"Tex,"  he  said,  "I'm  goin'  to  take  him  alive 
for  you!" 

As  if  in  answer  the  dying  man  stirred  on  the  floor. 
Haines  went  for  his  gun,  a  move  almost  as  light 
ning  swift  as  that  of  Jim  Silent,  but  now  far,  far  too 


One  Trail  Ends  215 

late.  The  revolver  was  hardly  clear  of  its  holster 
when  Whistling  Dan's  weapon  spoke.  Haines,  with 
a  curse,  clapped  his  left  hand  over  his  wounded 
right  forearm,  and  then  reached  after  his  weapon 
as  it  clattered  to  the  floor.  Once  more  he  was  too 
late.  Dan  tossed  his  gun  away  with  a  snarl  like 
the  growl  of  a  wolf;  cleared  the  table  at  a  leap,  and 
was  at  Haines's  throat.  The  bandit  fought  back 
desperately,  vainly.  One  instant  they  struggled 
erect,  swaying,  the  next  Haines  was  lifted  bodily, 
and  hurled  to  the  floor.  He  writhed,  but  under 
those  prisoning  hands  he  was  helpless. 

The  sheriff  headed  the  rush  for  the  scene  of  the 
struggle,  but  Dan  stopped  them. 

' '  All  you  c'n  do, ' '  he  said,  "  is  to  bring  me  a  piece 
of  rope." 

Jacqueline  came  running  with  a  stout  piece  of 
twine  which  he  twisted  around  the  wrists  of 
Haines.  Then  he  jerked  the  outlaw  to  his  feet, 
and  stood  close,  his  face  inhumanly  pale. 

"If  he  dies, "  he  said,  pointing  with  a  stiff  arm 
back  at  the  prostrate  figure  of  Tex  Calder,  "you 
—you'll  burn  alive  for  it!" 

The  sheriff  and  two  of  the  other  men  turned  the 
body  of  Calder  on  his  back.  They  tore  open  his 
shirt,  and  Jacqueline  leaned  over  him  with  a 
basin  of  water  trying  to  wipe  away  the  ever  recur- 


2i6  The  Untamed 

rent  blood  which  trickled  down  his  breast.  Dan 
brushed  them  away  and  caught  the  head  of  his 
companion  in  his  arms. 

"Tex!"  he  moaned,  "Tex!  Open  your  eyes, 
partner,  I  got  him  for  you.  I  got  him  alive  for 
you  to  look  at  him !  Wake  up ! " 

As  if  in  obedience  to  the  summons  the  eyes  of 
Calder  opened  wide.  The  lids  fluttered  as  if  to 
clear  his  vision,  but  even  then  his  gaze  was  filmed 
with  a  telltale  shadow. 

"Dan — Whistling  Dan,"  he  said,  "I'm  seeing 
you  a  long,  long  ways  off.  Partner,  I'm  done  for." 

The  whole  body  of  Dan  stiffened. 

' '  Done  ?  Tex,  you  can't  be !  Five  minutes  ago 
you  sat  at  that  there  table,  smilin'  an'  talkin' ! ' ' 

"It  doesn't  take  five  minutes.  Half  a  second 
can  take  a  man  all  the  way  to  hell ! " 

"If  you're  goin',  pal,  if  you  goin',  Tex,  take  one 
comfort  along  with  you !  I  got  the  man  who  killed 
you!  Come  here!" 

He  pulled  the  outlaw  to  his  knees  beside  the 
dying  marshal  whose  face  had  lighted  wonderfully. 
He  strained  his  eyes  painfully  to  make  out  the  face 
of  his  slayer.  Then  he  turned  his  head. 

He  said:  "The  man  who  killed  me  was  Jim 
Silent." 

Dan  groaned  and  leaned  close  to  Calder. 


One  Trail  Ends  217 

"Then  I'll  follow  him  to  the  end—"  he  began. 

The  feeble  accent  of  Calder  interrupted  him. 

"Not  that  way.  Come  close  to  me.  I  can't 
hear  my  own  voice,  hardly." 

Dan  bowed  his  head.  A  whisper  murmured  on 
for  a  moment,  broken  here  and  there  as  Dan 
nodded  his  head  and  said,  "Yes!" 

"Then  hold  up  your  hand,  your  right  hand," 
said  Calder  at  last,  audibly. 

Dan  obeyed. 

"You  swear  it?" 

"So  help  me  God!" 

"Then  here's  the  pledge  of  it!" 

Calder  fumbled  inside  his  shirt  for  a  moment, 
and  then  withdrawing  his  hand  placed  it  palm 
down  in  that  of  Dan.  The  breath  of  the  marshal 
was  coming  in  a  rattling  gasp. 

He  said  very  faintly:  "I've  stopped  the  trails 
of  twenty  men.  It  took  the  greatest  of  them  all 
to  get  me.  He  got  me  fair.  He  beat  me  to  the 
draw!" 

He  stopped  as  if  in  awe. 

"He  played  square — he's  a  better  man  than  I. 
Dan,  when  you  get  him,  do  it  the  same  way — face 
to  face — with  time  for  him  to  think  of  hell  before 
he  gets  there.  Partner,  I'm  going.  Wish  me  Suck." 

' '  Tex — partner — good  luck ! ' ' 


218  The  Untamed 

It  seemed  as  if  that  parting  wish  was  granted, 
for  Calder  died  with  a  smile. 

When  Dan  rose  slowly  Gus  Morris  stepped  up 
and  laid  a  hand  on  his  arm :  ' '  Look  here,  there  ain't 
no  use  of  bein'  sad  for  Tex  Calder.  His  business 
was  killin'  men,  an'  his  own  time  was  overdue." 

Dan  turned  a  face  that  made  Morris  wince. 

' '  What's  the  matter  ? "  he  asked,  with  an  attempt 
at  bluff  good  nature.  ' '  Do  you  hate  everyone  be 
cause  one  man  is  dead?  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do. 
I'll  loan  you  a  buckboard  an'  a  pair  of  hosses  to 
take  Tex  back  to  Elkhead.  As  for  this  feller 
Haines,  I'll  take  care  of  him." 

"I  sure  need  a  buckboard,"  said  Dan  slowly, 
"but  I'll  get  the  loan  from  a — white  man ! " 

He  turned  his  back  sharply  on  the  sheriff  and 
asked  if  any  one  else  had  a  wagon  they  could  lend 
him.  One  of  the  men  had  stopped  at  Morris's 
place  on  his  way  to  Elkhead.  He  immediately 
proposed  that  they  make  the  trip  together. 

"All  right,"  said  Morris  carelessly.  "I  won't 
pick  trouble  with  a  crazy  man.  Come  with  me, 
Haines." 

He  turned  to  leave  the  room. 

"Wait!  "said  Dan. 

Haines  stopped  as  though  someone  had  seized 
him  by  the  shoulder. 


One  Trail  Ends  219 

"What  the  devil  is  this  now?"  asked  Morris 
furiously.  "Stranger,  d'you  think  you  c'n  run 
the  world?  Come  on  with  me,  Haines!" 

' '  He  stays  with  me,"  said  Dan. 

"By  God,"  began  Morris,  "if  I  thought " 

"This  ain't  no  place  for  you  to  begin  thinkin', " 
said  the  man  who  had  offered  his  buckboard  to 
Dan.  "This  feller  made  the  capture  an'  he's  got 
the  right  to  take  him  into  Elkhead  if  he  wants. 
They's  a  reward  on  the  head  of  Lee  Haines." 

"The  arrest  is  made  in  my  county,"  said  Morris 
stoutly,  "an'  I've  got  the  say  as  to  what's  to  be 
done  with  a  prisoner." 

"Morris,"  said  Haines  earnestly,  "if  I'm  taken 
to  Elkhead  it'll  be  simply  a  matter  of  lynching. 
You  know  the  crowd  in  that  town." 

"Right — right,"  said  Morris,  eagerly  picking 
up  the  word.  "It'd  be  plain  lynchin' — mur 
der " 

Dan  broke  in:  "Haines,  step  over  here  behind 
me!" 

For  one  instant  Haines  hesitated,  and  then 
obeyed  silently. 

"This  is  contempt  of  the  law  and  an  officer  o* 
the  law, "  said  Morris.  "An*  I'll  see  that  you  get 
fined  so  that " 

"Better  cut  it  short  there,  sheriff, "  said  one  of 


220  The  Untamed 

the  men.  "I  wouldn't  go  callin'  the  attention  of 
folks  to  the  way  Jim  Silent  walked  into  your  own 
house  an'  made  his  getaway  without  you  tryin'  to 
raise  a  hand.  Law  or  no  law,  I'm  with  this 
stranger." 

"Me  too,"  said  another;  "any  man  who  can 
fan  a  gun  like  him  don't  need  no  law." 

The  sheriff  saw  that  the  tide  of  opinion  had  set 
strongly  against  him  and  abandoned  his  position 
with  speed  if  not  with  grace.  Dan  ordered  Haines 
to  walk  before  him  outside  the  house.  They  faced 
each  other  in  the  dim  moonlight. 

' 'I've  got  one  question  to  ask  you,"  he  said. 

"Make  it  short,"  said  Haines  calmly.  "I've 
got  to  do  my  talking  before  the  lynching  crowd." 

"You  can  answer  it  in  one  word.  Does  Kate 
Cumberland — what  is  she  to  you?" 

Lee  Haines  set  his  teeth. 

"All  the  world,"  he  said. 

Even  in  the  dim  light  he  saw  the  yellow  glow  of 
Dan's  eyes  and  he  felt  as  if  a  wolf  stood  there 
trembling  with  eagerness  to  leap  at  his  throat. 

"An'  what  are  you  to  her?" 

"No  more  than  the  dirt  under  her  feet!" 

"Haines,  you  lie!" 

"I  tell  you  that  if  she  cared  for  me  as  much  as 
she  does  for  the  horse  she  rides  on,  I'd  let  the 


One  Trail  Ends  221 

whole  world  know  if  I  had  to  die  for  it  the  next 
moment." 

Truth  has  a  ring  of  its  own. 

"Haines,  if  I  could  hear  that  from  her  own  lips, 
I'd  let  you  go  free.  If  you'll  show  me  the  way  to 
Kate,  I'll  set  you  loose  the  minute  I  see  her." 

' '  I  can't  do  it.  I've  given  my  faith  to  Silent  and 
his  men.  Where  she  is,  they  are." 

"Haines,  that  means  death  for  you." 

"I  know  it." 

Another  plan  had  come  to  Dan  as  they  talked. 
He  took  Haines  inside  again  and  coming  out  once 
more,  whistled  for  Bart.  The  wolf  appeared  as  if 
by  magic  through  the  dark.  He  took  out  Kate's 
glove,  which  the  wolf  had  brought  to  him  in  the 
willows,  and  allowed  him  to  smell  it.  Bart  whined 
eagerly.  If  he  had  that  glove  he  would  range  the 
hills  until  he  found  its  owner,  directed  to  her  by 
that  strange  instinct  of  the  wild  things.  If  Kate 
still  loved  him  the  glove  would  be  more  eloquent 
than  a  thousand  messages.  And  if  she  managed 
to  escape,  the  wolf  would  guide  her  back  to  his 
master. 

He  sat  on  his  heels,  caught  the  wolf  on  either  side 
of  the  shaggy  head,  and  stared  into  the  glow  of  the 
yellow  green  eyes.  It  was  as  if  the  man  were 
speaking  to  the  wolf. 


222  The  Untamed 

At  last,  as  if  satisfied,  he  drew  a  deep  breath, 
rose,  and  dropped  the  glove.  It  was  caught  in  the 
flashing  teeth.  For  another  moment  Bart  stood 
whining  and  staring  up  to  the  face  of  his  master. 
Then  he  whirled  and  fled  out  into  the  night. 


CHAPTER    XXI 

ONE   WAY   OUT 

IN  a  room  of  the  Salton  place,  on  the  evening  of 
the  next  day  after  Calder's  death,  sat  Silent,  with 
Kilduff,  Rhinehart,  and  Jordan  about  him.  Pur 
vis  was  out  scouting  for  the  news  of  Haines,  whose 
long  absence  commenced  to  worry  the  gang. 
Several  times  they  tried  to  induce  Kate  to  come 
out  and  talk  with  them,  but  she  was  resolute  in 
staying  alone  in  the  room  which  they  had  assigned 
to  her.  Consequently,  to  while  away  the  time, 
Bill  Kilduff  produced  his  mouth  organ  and  com 
menced  a  dolorous  ballad.  He  broke  short  in  the 
midst  of  it  and  stared  at  the  door.  The  others 
followed  the  direction  of  his  eyes  and  saw  Black 
Bart  standing  framed  against  the  fading  daylight. 
They  started  up  with  curses;  Rhinehart  drew  his 
gun. 

"Wait  a  minute,"  ordered  Silent. 

"Damn  it!"  exclaimed  Jordan,  "don't  you  see 
Whistling  Dan's  wolf?  If  the  wolf's  here,  Dan 
isn't  far  behind." 

223 


224  The  Untamed 

Silent  shook  his  head. 

"If  there's  goin'  to  be  any  shootin'  of  that  wolf 
leave  it  to  Hal  Purvis.  He's  jest  nacherally  set 
his  heart  on  it.  An'  Whistlin'  Dan  ain't  with 
the  wolf.  Look!  there's  a  woman's  glove  hangin' 
out  of  his  mouth.  He  picked  that  up  in  the 
willows,  maybe,  an'  followed  the  girl  here.  Watch 
him!" 

The  wolf  slunk  across  the  room  to  the  door 
which  opened  on  Kate's  apartment.  Kate  threw 
the  door  open — cried  out  at  the  sight  of  Bart — 
and  then  snatched  up  the  glove  he  let  drop  at  her 
feet. 

"No  cause  for  gettin'  excited,"  said  Silent. 
"Whistlin'  Dan  ain't  comin'  here  after  the 
wolf." 

For  answer  she  slammed  the  door. 

At  the  same  moment  Hal  Purvis  entered.  He 
stepped  directly  to  Silent,  and  stood  facing  him 
with  his  hands  resting  on  his  hips.  His  smile  was 
marvellously  unpleasant. 

' '  Well,"  said  the  chief,  ' '  what's  the  news  ?  You 
got  eloquent  eyes,  Hal,  but  I  want  words." 

"The  news  is  plain  hell,"  said  Purvis, 
"Haines " 

"What  of  him?" 

"He'sinElkhead!" 


One  Way  Out  225 

"Elkhead?" 

"Whistling  Dan  got  him  at  Morris's  place  and 
took  him  in  along  with  the  body  of  Tex  Calder. 
Jim,  you  got  to  answer  for  it  to  all  of  us.  You 
went  to  Morris's  with  Lee.  You  come  away 
without  him  and  let  him  stay  behind  to  be  nabbed 
by  that  devil  Whistlin'  Dan." 

"Right,"  said  Kilduff,  and  his  teeth  clicked. 
"Is  that  playin'  fair?" 

"Boys,"  said  Silent  solemnly,  "if  I  had  knowed 
that  Whistlin'  Dan  was  there,  I'd  of  never  left 
Haines  to  stay  behind.  Morris  said  nothin' 
about  Calder  havin'  a  runnin'  mate.  Me  an' 
Haines  was  in  the  upstairs  room  an'  about  supper- 
time  up  came  a  feller  an'  told  us  that  Tex  Calder 
had  jest  come  into  the  dinin'-room.  That  was 
all.  Did  Whistlin'  Dan  get  Lee  from  behind?" 

"He  got  him  from  the  front.  He  beat  Lee  to 
the  draw  so  bad  that  Haines  hardly  got  his  gun 
out  of  its  leather!" 

"The  feller  that  told  you  that  lied,"  said  Silent. 
"Haines  is  as  fast  with  his  shootin'  iron  as  I  am — 
almost!" 

The  rest  of  the  outlaws  nodded  to  each  other 
significantly. 

Purvis  went  on  without  heeding  the  interrup 
tion.  "After  I  found  out  about  the  fight  I  swung 
is 


226  The  Untamed 

towards  Elkhead.  About  five  miles  out  of  town 
I  met  up  with  Rogers,  the  deputy  sheriff  at  Elk- 
head.  I  thought  you  had  him  fixed  for  us,  Jim?" 

"Damn  his  hide,  I  did.  Is  he  playing  us  dirt 
now?" 

"A  frosty  mornin'  in  December  was  nothin'  to 
the  way  he  talked." 

"Cut  all  that  short,"  said  Rhinehart,  "an'  let's 
know  if  Rogers  is  goin'  to  be  able  to  keep  the 
lynching  party  away  from  Haines!  " 

"He  says  he  thinks  it  c'n  be  done  for  a  couple  of 
days,"  said  Purvis,  "but  the  whole  range  is  risin'. 
All  the  punchers  are  ridin'  into  Elkhead  an'  wantin' 
to  take  a  look  at  the  famous  Lee  Haines.  Rogers 
says  that  when  enough  of  'em  get  together  they'll 
take  the  law  in  their  own  hands  an'  nothin'  can 
stop  'em  then." 

"Why  don't  the  rotten  dog  give  Haines  a  chance 
to  make  a  getaway?"  asked  Silent.  "Ain't  we 
paid  him  his  share  ever  since  we  started  workin' 
these  parts?" 

"He  don't  dare  take  the  chance,"  said  Purvis. 
"He  says  the  boys  are  talkin*  mighty  strong. 
They  want  action.  They've  put  up  a  guard  all 
around  the  jail  an'  they  say  that  if  Haines  gets 
loose  they'll  string  up  Rogers.  Everyone's  wild 
about  the  killin'  of  Calder.  Jim,  ol'  Saunderson, 


One  Way  Out  227 

he's  put  up  five  thousand  out  of  his  own  pocket  to 
raise  the  price  on  your  head!" 

"An'  this  Whistlin'  Dan,"  said  Silent.  "I 
s'pose  they're  makin'  a  hero  out  of  him  ? " 

"Rogers  says  every  man  within  ten  miles  is 
talkin'  about  him.  The  whole  range'll  know  of 
him  in  two  days.  He  made  a  nice  play  when  he 
got  in.  You  know  they's  five  thousand  out  on 
Haines's  head.  It  was  offered  to  him  by  Rogers  as 
soon  as  Dan  brought  Lee  in.  What  d'you  think 
he  done?  Pocketed  the  cheque?  No,  he  grabbed 
it,  an'  tore  it  up  small:  'I  ain't  after  no  blood 
money,'  he  says." 

' '  No, ' '  said  Silent.  ' '  He  ain't  after  no  money — 
he's  after  me!" 

"Tomorrow  they  bury  Calder.  The  next  day 
Whistlin'  Dan '11  be  on  our  trail  again — an'  he'll 
be  playin'  the  same  lone  hand.  Rogers  offered 
him  a  posse.  He  wouldn't  take  it." 

"They's  one  pint  that  ain't  no  nearer  bein' 
solved,"  said  Bill  Kilduff  in  a  growl,  "an'  that's 
how  you're  goin'  to  get  Haines  loose.  Silent,  it's 
up  to  you.  Which  you  rode  away  leavin'  him 
behind." 

Silent  took  one  glance  around  that  waiting 
circle.  Then  he  nodded. 

"It's  up  to  me.     Gimme  a  chance  to  think." 


228  The  Untamed 

He  started  walking  up  and  down  the  room, 
muttering.  At  last  he  stopped  short. 

"Boys,  it  can  be  done!  They's  nothin'  like 
talkin'  of  a  woman  to  make  a  man  turn  himself 
into  a  plumb  fool,  an'  I'm  goin'  to  make  a  fool  out 
of  Whistlin'  Dan  with  this  girl  Kate!" 

"But  how  in  the  name  of  God  c'n  you  make  her 
go  out  an'  talk  to  him? "  said  Rhinehart. 

"Son,"  answered  Silent,  "they's  jest  one  main 
trouble  with  you — you  talk  a  hell  of  a  pile  too 
much.  When  I've  done  this  I'll  tell  you  how  it  was 
figgered  out!" 


CHAPTER   XXII 
THE  WOMAN'S  WAY 

IT  was  a  day  later,  in  the  morning,  that  a  hand 
knocked  at  Kate's  door  and  she  opened  it  to  Jim 
Silent.  He  entered,  brushing  off  the  dust  of  a  long 
journey. 

"Good-mornin',  Miss  Cumberland." 

He  extended  a  hand  which  she  overlooked. 

"You  still  busy  hatin'  me?" 

"I'm  simply — surprised  that  you  have  come  in 
here  to  talk  to  me." 

"You  look  as  if  you  seen  somethin'  in  my  face?  " 
he  said  suspiciously.  "What  is  it?  Dirt?" 

He  brushed  a  hand  across  his  forehead. 

"Whatever  it  is,"  she  answered,  "you  can't  rub 
it  away." 

"I'm  thinkin'  of  givin'  you  a  leave  of  absence — 
if  you'll  promise  to  come  back." 

"Would  you  trust  my  honour?" 

"In  a  pinch  like  this,"  he  said  amiably,  "I 
would.  But  here's  my  business.  Lee  Haines  is 

229 


230  The  Untamed 

jailed  in  Elkhead.  The  man  that  put  him  behind 
the  bars  an'  the  only  one  that  can  take  him  out 
agin  is  Whistlin'  Dan.  An'  the  one  person  who 
can  make  Dan  set  Lee  loose  is  you.  Savvy?  Will 
you  go  an'  talk  with  Dan  ?  This  wolf  of  his  would 
find  him  for  you." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"Why  not?"  cried  Silent  in  a  rising  voice. 

"The  last  time  he  saw  me,"  she  said,  "he  had 
reason  to  think  that  I  tried  to  betray  him  because 
of  Lee  Haines.  If  I  went  to  him  now  to  plead  for 
Haines  he'd  be  sure  that  I  was  what  he  called  me 
-Delilah!" 

"Is  that  final?" 

"Absolutely!" 

"Now  get  me  straight.  They's  a  crowd  of  cow- 
punchers  gatherin'  in  Elkhead,  an'  today  or  to 
morrow  they'll  be  strong  enough  to  take  the  law 
into  their  own  hands  and  organize  a  little  lynchin' 
bee,  savvy?" 

She  shuddered. 

"It  ain't  pleasant,  is  it,  the  picture  of  big,  good- 
lookin'  Lee  danglin'  from  the  end  of  a  rope  with 
the  crowd  aroun'  takin'  pot-shots  at  him?  No, 
it  ain't,  an'  you're  goin'  to  stop  it.  You're  goin' 
to  start  from  here  in  fifteen  minutes  with  your 
hoss  an'  this  wolf,  after  givin'  me  your  promise  i^ 


The  Woman's  Way  231 

come  back  when  you've  seen  Whistlin'  Dan. 
You're  goin'  to  make  Dan  go  an'  set  Lee  loose." 

She  smiled  in  derision. 

"If  Dan  did  that  he'd  be  outlawed." 

"You  won't  stir?" 

"Not  a  step!" 

"Well,  kid,  for  everything  that  happens  to 
Lee  somethin'  worse  will  happen  to  someone  in  the 
next  room.  Maybe  you'd  like  to  see  him?" 

He  opened  the  door  and  she  stepped  into  the 
entrance.  Almost  opposite  her  sat  old  Joe  Cum 
berland  with  his  hands  tied  securely  behind  his 
back.  At  sight  of  her  he  rose  with  a  low  cry. 
She  turned  on  big  Silent  and  whipped  the  six-gun 
from  his  hip.  He  barely  managed  to  grasp  her 
wrist  and  swing  the  heavy  revolver  out  of  line 
with  his  body. 

"You  little  fiend,"  he  snarled,  "drop  the  gun,  or 
I'll  wring  your  neck." 

"I  don't  fear  you,"  she  said,  never  wincing 
under  the  crushing  grip  on  her  wrists,  "you 
murderer!" 

He  said,  calmly  repossessing  himself  of  his 
gun,  "Now  take  a  long  look  at  your  father  an' 
repeat  all  the  things  you  was  just  saying*  to 

n 

me. 

She  stared  miserably  at  her  father.     When  Silent 


232  The  Untamed 

caught  Kate's  hand  Cumberland  had  started  for 
ward,  but  Kilduff  and  Rhinehart  held  him. 

"What  is  it,  Kate,"  he  cried.  "What  does  it 
mean?" 

She  explained  it  briefly:  "This  is  Jim  Silent!" 

He  remained  staring  at  her  with  open  mouth  as 
if  his  brain  refused  to  admit  what  his  ear  heard. 

"There  ain't  no  use  askin'  questions  how  an' 
why  she's  here,"  said  Silent.  "This  is  the  pint. 
Lee  Haines  is  behind  the  bars  in  Elkhead.  Whist- 
lin'  Dan  put  him  there  an'  maybe  the  girl  c'n 
persuade  Dan  to  bring  him  out  again.  If  she 
don't — then  everything  the  lynchin'  gang  does  to 
Haines  we're  goin'  to  do  to  you.  Git  down  on 
your  ol'  knees,  Cumberland,  an'  beg  your  daughter 
to  save  your  hide!" 

The  head  of  Kate  dropped  down. 

"Untie  his  hands,"  she  said.  "I'll  talk  with 
Dan." 

"I  knew  you'd  see  reason,"  grinned  Silent. 

"Jest  one  minute,"  said  Cumberland.  "Kate, 
is  Lee  Haines  one  of  Silent's  gang?" 

"He  is." 

"An*  Dan  put  him  behind  the  bars?" 

"Yes." 

"  If  Dan  takes  him  out  again  the  boy'll  be  out 
lawed,  Kate." 


The  Woman's  Way  233 

"Cumberland,"  broke  in  Kilduff  savagely, 
"here's  your  call  to  stop  thinkin'  about  Whistlin' 
Dan  an'  begin  figgerin'  for  yourself." 

"Don't  you  see?"  said  Kate,  "it's  your  death 
these  cowards  mean." 

Cumberland  seemed  to  grow  taller,  he  stood  so 
stiffly  erect  with  his  chin  high  like  a  soldier. 

"You  shan't  make  no  single  step  to  talk  with 
Dan!" 

"Can't  you  understand  that  it's  you  they 
threaten?"  she  cried. 

"I  understan'  it  all,"  he  said  evenly.  "I'm  too 
old  to  have  a  young  man  damned  for  my  sake.  " 

' '  Shut  him  up ! "  ordered  Silent .     ' '  The  old  fool ! ' ' 

The  heavy  hand  of  Terry  Jordan  clapped  over 
Joe's  mouth  effectually  silenced  him.  He  strug 
gled  vainly  to  speak  again  and  Kate  turned  to 
Silent  to  shut  out  the  sight. 

"Tell  your  man  to  let  him  go,"  she  said,  "I  will 
do  what  you  wish." 

"That's  talkin'  sense,"  said  Silent.  "Come 
out  with  me  an'  I'll  saddle  your  hoss.  Call  the 
wolf." 

He  opened  the  door  and  in  response  to  her 
whistle  Black  Bart  trotted  out  and  followed  them 
out  to  the  horse  shed.  There  the  outlaw  quickly 
saddled  Kate's  pony. 


234  The  Untamed 

He  said:  "Whistlin'  Dan  is  sure  headin'  back 
in  this  direction  because  he's  got  an  idea  I'm 
somewhere  near.  Bart  will  find  him  on  the 
way." 

Silent  was  right.  That  morning  Dan  had  started 
back  towards  Gus  Morris's  place,  for  he  was  sure 
that  the  outlaws  were  camped  in  that  neighbour 
hood.  A  little  before  noon  he  veered  half  a  mile 
to  the  right  towards  a  spring  which  welled  out 
from  a  hillside,  surrounded  by  a  small  grove  of 
willows.  Having  found  it,  he  drank,  and  watered 
Satan,  then  took  off  the  saddle  to  ease  the  stallion, 
and  lay  down  at  a  little  distance  for  a  ten-minute 
siesta,  one  of  those  half  wakeful  sleeps  the  habit 
of  which  he  had  learned  from  his  wolf. 

He  was  roused  from  the  doze  by  a  tremendous 
snorting  and  snarling  and  found  Black  Bart  play 
ing  with  Satan.  It  was  their  greeting  after  an 
absence,  and  they  dashed  about  among  the  willows 
like  creatures  possessed.  Dan  brought  horse  and 
dog  to  a  motionless  stand  with  a  single  whistle, 
and  then  ran  out  to  the  edge  of  the  willows. 
Down  the  side  of  the  hill  rode  Kate  at  a  brisk 
gallop.  In  a  moment  she  saw  him  and  called 
his  name ,  with  a  welcoming  wave  of  her  arm.  Now 
she  was  off  her  horse  and  running  to  him.  He 
caught  her  hands  and  held  her  for  an  instant  far 


The  Woman's  Way  235 

from  him  like  one  striving  to  draw  out  the  note  of 
happiness  into  a  song.  They  could  not  speak. 

At  last:  "I  knew  you'd  find  a  way  to  come." 

"They  let  me  go,  Dan." 

He  frowned,  and  her  eyes  faltered  from  his. 

"They  sent  me  to  you  to  ask  you — to  free  Lee 
Haines!" 

He  dropped  her  hands,  and  she  stood  trying  to 
find  words  to  explain,  and  finding  none. 

"To  free  Haines?"  he  repeated  heavily. 

"It  is  Dad,"  she  cried.  "They  have  captured 
him,  and  they  are  holding  him.  They  keep  him  in 
exchange  for  Haines." 

"If  I  free  Haines  they'll  outlaw  me.  You  know 
that,  Kate?" 

She  made  a  pace  towards  him,  but  he  retreated. 

"What  can  I  do?"  she  pleaded  desperately. 
"  It  is  for  my  father — 

His  face  brightened  as  he  caught  at  a  new  hope. 

"Show  me  the  way  to  Silent's  hiding  place  and 
I'll  free  your  father  an'  reach  the  end  of  this  trail 
at  the  same  time,  Kate!" 

She  blenched  pitifully.  It  was  hopeless  to  ex 
plain. 

"Dan — honey — I  can't!" 

She  watched  him  miserably. 

"I've  given  them  my  word  to  come  back  alone." 


236  The  Untamed 

His  head  bowed.  Out  of  the  willows  came  Satan 
and  Black  Bart  and  stood  beside  him,  the  stallion 
nosing  his  shoulder  affectionately. 

' '  Dan,  dear,  won't  you  speak  to  me  ?  Won't  you 
tell  me  that  you  try  to  understand  ? " 

He  said  at  last:  "Yes.     I'll  free  Lee  Haines." 

The  fingers  of  his  right  hand  trailed  slowly 
across  the  head  of  Black  Bart.  His  eyes  raised 
and  looked  past  her  far  across  the  running  curves 
of  the  hills,  far  away  to  the  misty  horizon. 

<  <  tr_  4.  M 

Kate 

' '  Dan,  you  do  understand  ? ' ' 

"I  didn't  know  a  woman  could  love  a  man  the 
way  you  do  Lee  Haines.  When  I  send  him  back 
to  you  tell  him  to  watch  himself.  I'm  play  in* 
your  game  now,  but  if  I  meet  him  afterwards,  I'll 
play  my  own. " 

All  she  could  say  was:  "Will  you  listen  to  me 
no  more,  Dan?" 

"Here's  where  we  say  good-bye." 

He  took  her  hand  and  his  eyes  were  as  unfathom 
able  as  a  midnight  sky.  She  turned  to  her  horse 
and  he  helped  her  to  the  saddle  with  a  steady 
hand. 

That  was  all.  He  went  back  to  the  willows,  his 
right  arm  resting  on  the  withers  of  Black  Satan  as 
if  upon  the  shoulder  of  a  friend.  As  she  reached 


The  Woman's  Way  237 

the  top  of  the  hill  she  heard  a  whistling  from  the 
willows,  a  haunting  complaint  which  brought  the 
tears  to  her  eyes.  She  spurred  her  tired  horse  to 
eecape  the  sound. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

HELL   STARTS 

BETWEEN  twilight  and  dark  Whistling  Dan 
entered  Elkhead.  He  rose  in  the  stirrups,  on  his 
toes,  stretching  the  muscles  of  his  legs.  He  was 
sensing  his  strength.  So  the  pianist  before  he 
plays  runs  his  fingers  up  and  down  the  keys  and 
sees  that  all  is  in  tune  and  the  touch  perfect. 

Two  rival  saloons  faced  each  other  at  the  end  of 
the  single  street.  At  the  other  extremity  of  the 
lane  stood  the  house  of  deputy  sheriff  Rogers,  and 
a  little  farther  was  the  jail.  A  crowd  of  horses 
stood  in  front  of  each  saloon,  but  from  the  throngs 
within  there  came  hardly  a  sound.  The  hush  was 
prophetic  of  action ;  it  was  the  lull  before  the  storm. 
Dan  slowed  his  horse  as  he  went  farther  down  the 
street. 

The  shadowy  figure  of  a  rider  showed  near  the 
jail.  He  narrowed  his  eyes  and  looked  more 
closely.  Another,  another,  another  horseman 
showed — four  in  sight  on  his  side  of  the  jail  and 

238 


Hell  Starts  239 

probably  as  many  more  out  of  his  vision.  Eight 
cattlemen  guarded  the  place  from  which  he  must 
take  Lee  Haines,  and  every  one  of  the  eight,  he 
had  no  doubt,  was  a  picked  man.  Dan  pulled  up 
Satan  to  a  walk  and  commenced  to  whistle  softly. 
It  was  like  one  of  those  sounds  of  the  wind,  a 
thing  to  guess  at  rather  than  to  know,  but  the 
effect  upon  Satan  and  Black  Bart  was  startling. 

The  ears  of  the  stallion  dropped  flat  on  his  neck. 
He  began  to  slink  along  with  a  gliding  step  which 
was  very  like  the  stealthy  pace  of  Black  Bart,  steal 
ing  ahead.  His  footfall  was  as  silent  as  if  he  had 
been  shod  with  felt.  Meantime  Dan  ran  over  a  plan 
of  action.  He  saw  very  clearly  that  he  had  little 
time  for  action.  Those  motionless  guards  around 
the  jail  made  his  task  difficult  enough,  but  there 
was  a  still  greater  danger.  The  crowds  in  the  two 
saloons  would  be  starting  up  the  street  for  Haines 
before  long.  Their  silence  told  him  that. 

A  clatter  of  hoofs  came  behind  him.  He  did  not 
turn  his  head,  but  his  hand  dropped  down  to  his 
revolver  butt.  The  fast  riding  horseman  swept 
and  shot  on  down  the  street,  leaving  a  pungent 
though  invisible  cloud  of  dust  behind  him.  He 
stopped  in  front  of  Rogers 's  house  and  darted  up 
the  steps  and  through  the  door.  Acting  upon  a 
premonition,  Dan  dismounted  a  short  distance 


240  The  Untamed 

from  Rogers 's  house  and  ran  to  the  door.  He 
opened  it  softly  and  found  himself  in  a  narrow  hall 
dimly  lighted  by  a  smoking  lamp.  Voices  came 
from  the  room  to  his  right. 

"What  d'you  mean,  Hardy?"  the  deputy  sheriff 
was  saying. 

"  Hell's  startin'!" 

"There's  a  good  many  kinds  of  hell.  Come  out 
with  it,  Lee.  I  ain't  no  mind  reader." 

"They're  gettin'  ready  for  the  big  bust!" 

"What  big  bust?" 

"It  ain't  no  use  bluffin'.  Ain't  Silent  told  you 
that  I'm  on  the  inside  of  the  game? " 

"You  fool!"  cried  Rogers.  "Don't  use  that 
name!" 

Dan  slipped  a  couple  of  paces  down  the  hall  and 
flattened  himself  against  the  wall  just  as  the  door 
opened.  Rogers  looked  out,  drew  a  great  breath 
of  relief,  and  went  back  into  the  room.  Dan  re 
sumed  his  former  position. 

"Now  talk  fast!"  said  Rogers. 

"About  time  for  you  to  drop  that  rotten  bluff. 
Why,  man,  I  could  even  tell  you  jest  how  much 
you've  cost  Jim  Silent." 

Rogers  growled:  "Tell  me  what's  up." 

' '  The  boys  are  goin'  for  the  jail  tonight.  They'll 
get  out  Haines  an'  string  him  up." 


Hell  Starts  241 

"It's  comin'  to  him.  He's  played  a  hard  game 
for  a  long  time." 

"An 'so  have  you,  Rogers,  for  a  damn  long  time !" 

Rogers  swallowed  the  insult,  apparently. 

"What  can  I  do?"  he  asked  plaintively.  "I'm 
willin'  to  give  Silent  and  his  gang  a  square  deal." 

"You  should  of  done  something  while  they  was 
only  a  half-dozen  cowpunchers  in  town.  Now  the 
town's  full  of  riders  an'  they're  all  after  blood." 

"An'  my  blood  if  they  don't  get  Haines!" 
broke  in  the  deputy  sheriff. 

Hardy  grunted. 

"They  sure  are,"  he  said.  "I've  heard  'em  talk, 
an'  they  mean  business.  All  of  'em.  But  how'd 
you  answer  to  Jim  Silent,  Rogers?  If  you  let  'em 
get  Haines — well,  Haines  is  Silent's  partner  an' 
Jim'll  bust  everything  wide  to  get  even  with 
you." 

"I  c'n  explain,"  said  Rogers  huskily.  "I  c'n 
show  Silent  how  I'm  helpless." 

Footsteps  went  up  and  down  the  room. 

"If  they  start  anything,"  said  Rogers,  "I'll 
mark  down  the  names  of  the  ringleaders  and 
I'll  give  'em  hell  afterwards.  That'll  soothe  Jim 
some." 

"You  won't  know  'em.     They'll  wear  masks." 

Dan  opened  the  door  and  stepped  into  the  room. 

16 


242  The  Untamed 

Rogers  started  up  with  a  curse  and  gripped  his 
revolver. 

"I  never  knew  you  was  so  fond  of  gun  play," 
said  Dan.  "Maybe  that  gun  of  yours  would  be 
catchin'  cold  if  you  was  to  leave  it  out  of  the 
leather  long?" 

The  sheriff  restored  his  revolver  slowly  to  the 
holster,  glowering. 

"An'  Rogers  won't  be  needin'  you  for  a  minute 
or  two, "  went  on  Dan  to  Hardy. 

They  seemed  to  fear  even  his  voice.  The  Wells 
Fargo  agent  vanished  through  the  door  and  clat 
tered  down  the  steps. 

"How  long  you  been  standin'  at  that  door?" 
said  Rogers,  gnawing  his  lips. 

"Jest  for  a  breathin'  space,"  said  Dan. 

Rogers  squinted  his  eyes  to  make  up  for  the 
dimness  of  the  lamplight. 

' ' By  God ! "  he  cried  suddenly.  ' '  You're  Whist- 
lin'  Dan  Barry!" 

He  dropped  into  his  chair  and  passed  a  trem 
bling  hand  across  his  forehead. 

He  stammered:  "Maybe  you've  changed  your 
mind  an'  come  back  for  that  five  thousand?" 

"No,  I've  come  for  a  man,  not  for  money." 

"A  man?" 

"I  want  Lee  Haines  before  the  crowd  gets  him." 


Hell  Starts  243 

"Would  you  really  try  to  take  Haines  out?" 
asked  Rogers  with  a  touch  of  awe. 

"Are  there  any  guards  in  the  jail?" 

"Two.     Lewis  an'  Patterson." 

"Give  me  a  written  order  for  Haines." 

The  deputy  wavered. 

"If  I  do  that  I'm  done  for  in  this  town!" 

"Maybe.  I  want  the  key  for  Haines's  hand 
cuffs." 

"Go  over  an'  put  your  hoss  up  in  the  shed  be 
hind  the  jail,"  said  Rogers,  fighting  for  time,  "an' 
when  you  come  back  I'll  have  the  order  written 
out  an'  give  it  to  you  with  the  key." 

"Why  not  come  over  with  me  now?" 

"I  got  some  other  business." 

"In  five  minutes  I'll  be  back,"  said  Dan,  and 
left  the  house. 

Outside  he  whistled  to  Satan,  and  the  stallion 
trotted  up  to  him.  He  swung  into  the  saddle  and 
rode  to  the  jail.  There  was  not  a  guard  in  sight. 
He  rode  around  to  the  other  side  of  the  building 
to  reach  the  stable.  Still  he  could  not  sight  one  of 
those  shadowy  horsemen  who  had  surrounded  the 
place  a  few  minutes  before.  Perhaps  the  crowd 
had  called  in  the  guards  to  join  the  attack. 

He  put  Satan  away  in  the  stable  and  as  he  led 
him  into  a  stall  he  heard  a  roar  of  many  voices  far 


244  The  Untamed 

away.  Then  came  the  crack  of  half  a  dozen 
revolvers.  Dan  set  his  teeth  and  glanced  quickly 
over  the  half-dozen  horses  in  the  little  shed.  He 
recognized  the  tall  bay  of  Lee  Haines  at  once  and 
threw  on  its  back  the  saddle  which  hung  on  a  peg 
directly  behind  it.  As  he  drew  up  the  cinch  an 
other  shout  came  from  the  street,  but  this  time 
very  close. 

When  he  raced  around  the  jail  he  saw  the  crowd 
pouring  into  the  house  of  the  deputy  sheriff.  He 
ran  on  till  he  came  to  the  outskirts  of  the  mob. 
Every  man  was  masked,  but  in  the  excitement  no 
one  noticed  that  Dan's  face  was  bare.  Squirm 
ing  his  way  through  the  press,  Dan  reached  the 
deputy's  office.  It  was  almost  filled.  Rogers  stood 
on  a  chair  trying  to  argue  with  the  cattlemen. 

"No  more  talk,  sheriff,"  thundered  one  among 
the  cowpunchers,  "we've  had  enough  of  your  line 
of  talk.  Now  we  want  some  action  of  our  own 
brand.  For  the  last  time :  Are  you  goin'  to  order 
Lewis  an'  Patterson  to  give  up  Haines,  or  are  you 
goin'  to  let  two  good  men  die  fightin'  for  a  damn 
lone  rider?" 

"What  about  the  feller  who's  goin'  to  take  Lee 
Haines  out  of  Elkhead?"  cried  another. 

The  crowd  yelled  with  delight. 

"Yes,  where  is  he?     What  about  him?" 


Hell  Starts  245 

Rogers,  glancing  down  from  his  position  on  the 
chair,  stared  into  the  brown  eyes  of  Whistling  Dan. 
He  stretched  out  an  arm  that  shook  with  excite 
ment. 

"That  feller  there!"  he  cried,  "that  one  without 
a  mask!  Whistlin'  Dan  Barry  is  the  man!" 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE   RESCUE 

THE  throng  gave  back  from  Dan,  as  if  from  the 
vicinity  of  a  panther.  Dan  faced  the  circle  of 
scowling  faces,  smiling  gently  upon  them. 

"Look  here,  Barry,"  called  a  voice  from  the  rear 
of  the  crowd,  "why  do  you  want  to  take  Haines 
away?  Throw  in  your  cards  with  us.  We  need 
you." 

"If  it's  fightin'  you  want,"  cried  a  joker, 
"maybe  Lewis  an'  Patterson  will  give  us  all  enough 
of  it  at  the  jail." 

"I  ain't  never  huntin'  for  trouble,"  said  Dan. 

"Make  your  play  quick,"  said  another.  "We 
got  no  time  to  waste  even  on  Dan  Barry.  Speak 
out,  Dan.  Here's  a  lot  of  good  fellers  aimin'  to 
take  out  Haines  an'  give  him  what's  due  him — 
no  more.  Are  you  with  us  ?" 

"I'm  not." 

"Is  that  final?" 

"It  is." 

246 


The  Rescue  247 

"All  right.  Tie  him  up,  boys.  There  ain't  no 
other  way ! ' ' 

"Look  out!"  shouted  a  score  of  voices,  for  a  gun 
flashed  in  Dan's  hand. 

He  aimed  at  no  human  target.  The  bullet 
shattered  the  glass  lamp  into  a  thousand  shivering 
and  tinkling  splinters.  Thick  darkness  blotted  the 
room.  Instantly  thereafter  a  blow,  a  groan,  and 
the  fall  of  a  body ;  then  a  confused  clamour. 

"He's  here!" 

"Give  up  that  gun,  damn  you!" 

"You  got  the  wrong  man!" 

"I'm  Bill  Flynn!" 

"Guard  the  door!" 

"Lights,  for  God's  sake!" 

"Help!" 

A  slender  figure  leaped  up  against  the  window 
and  was  dimly  outlined  by  the  starlight  outside. 
There  was  a  crash  of  falling  glass,  and  as  two  or 
three  guns  exploded  the  figure  leaped  down  out 
side  the  house. 

"Follow  him!" 

"Who  was  that?" 

' '  Get  a  light !    Who's  got  a  match  ? ' ' 

Half  the  men  rushed  out  of  the  room  to  pursue 
that  fleeing  figure.  The  other  half  remained  to 
see  what  had  happened.  It  seemed  impossible  that 


248  The  Untamed 

Whistling  Dan  had  escaped  from  their  midst. 
Half  a  dozen  sulphur  matches  spurted  little  jets  of 
blue  flame  and  discovered  four  men  lying  prone 
on  the  floor,  most  of  them  with  the  wind  trampled 
from  their  bodies,  but  otherwise  unhurt.  One  of 
them  was  the  sheriff. 

He  lay  with  his  shoulders  propped  against  the 
wall.  His  mouth  was  a  mass  of  blood. 

"Who  got  you,  Rogers?" 

"Where's  Barry?" 

"The  jail,  the  jail!"  groaned  Rogers.  "Barry 
has  gone  for  the  jail!" 

Revolvers  rattled  outside. 

"He's  gone  for  Haines,"  screamed  the  deputy. 
"Go  get  him,  boys!" 

"How  can  he  get  Haines?  He  ain't  got  the 
keys." 

"He  has,  you  fools!  When  he  shot  the  lights 
out  he  jumped  for  me  and  knocked  me  off  the 
chair.  Then  he  went  through  my  pockets  and  got 
the  keys.  Get  on  your  way!  Quick!" 

The  lynchers,  yelling  with  rage,  were  already 
stamping  from  the  room. 

With  the  jangling  bunch  of  keys  in  one  hand  and 
his  revolver  in  the  other,  Dan  started  full  speed  for 
the  jail  as  soon  as  he  leaped  down  from  the  window. 
By  the  time  he  had  covered  half  the  intervening 


The  Rescue  249 

distance  the  first  pursuers  burst  out  of  Rogers' s 
house  and  opened  fire  after  the  shadowy  fugitive. 
He  whirled  and  fired  three  shots  high  in  the  air. 
No  matter  how  impetuous,  those  warning  shots 
would  make  the  mob  approach  the  jail  with  some 
caution. 

On  the  door  of  the  jail  he  beat  furiously  with 
the  bunch  of  keys. 

"What's  up?  Who's  there?"  cried  a  voice 
within. 

"Message  from  Rogers.  Hell's  started!  He's 
sent  me  with  the  keys ! ' ' 

The  door  jerked  open  and  a  tall  man,  with  a 
rifle  slung  across  one  arm,  blocked  the  entrance. 

"What's  the  message?"  he  asked. 

"This!"  said  Dan,  and  drove  his  fist  squarely 
into  the  other's  face. 

He  fell  without  a  cry  and  floundered  on  the  floor, 
gasping.  Dan  picked  him  up  and  shoved  him 
through  the  door,  bolting  it  behind  him.  A  nar 
row  hall  opened  before  him  and  ran  the  length  of 
the  small  building.  He  glanced  into  the  room  on 
one  side.  It  was  the  kitchen  and  eating-room  in 
one.  He  rushed  into  the  one  on  the  other  side. 
Two  men  were  there.  One  was  Haines,  sitting 
with  his  hands  manacled.  The  other  was  the 
second  guard,  who  ran  for  Dan,  whipping  his  rifle 


250  The  Untamed 

to  his  shoulder.  As  flame  spurted  from  the  mouth 
of  the  gun,  Dan  dived  at  the  man's  knees  and 
brought  him  to  the  floor  with  a  crash.  He  rose 
quickly  and  leaned  over  the  fallen  man,  who  lay 
without  moving,  his  arms  spread  wide.  He  had 
struck  on  his  forehead  when  he  dropped.  He 
was  stunned  for  the  moment,  but  not  seriously  hurt. 
Dan  ran  to  Haines,  who  stood  with  his  hands  high 
above  his  head.  Far  away  was  the  shout  of  the 
coming  crowd. 

"Shoot  and  be  damned!"  said  Haines  sullenly. 

For  answer  Dan  jerked  down  the  hands  of  the 
lone  rider  and  commenced  to  try  the  keys  on  the 
handcuffs.  There  were  four  keys.  The  fourth 
turned  the  lock.  Haines  shouted  as  his  hands  fell 
free. 

"After  me! "  cried  Dan,  and  raced  for  the  stable. 

As  they  swung  into  their  saddles  outside  the 
shed,  the  lynchers  raced  their  horses  around  the 
jail. 

"Straightaway!"  called  Dan.  "Through  the 
cottonwoods  and  down  the  lane.  After  me. 
Satan!" 

The  stallion  leaped  into  a  full  gallop,  heading 
straight  for  a  tall  group  of  cottonwoods  beyond 
which  was  a  lane  fenced  in  with  barbed  wire. 
Half  a  dozen  of  the  pursuers  were  in  a  position  to 


The  Rescue  251 

cut  them  off,  and  now  rushed  for  the  cottonwoods, 
yelling  to  their  comrades  to  join  them.  A  score 
of  lights  flashed  like  giant  fireflies  as  the  lynchers 
opened  fire. 

"They've  blocked  the  way!"  groaned  Haines. 

Three  men  had  brought  their  horses  to  a  sliding 
stop  in  front  of  the  cottonwoods  and  their  revolvers 
cracked  straight  in  the  faces  of  Dan  and  Haines. 
There  was  no  other  way  for  escape.  Dan  raised 
his  revolver  and  fired  twice,  aiming  low.  Two 
of  the  horses  reared  and  pitched  to  the  ground. 
The  third  rider  had  a  rifle  at  his  shoulder.  He  was 
holding  his  fire  until  he  had  drawn  a  careful  bead. 
Now  his  gun  spurted  and  Dan  bowed  far  over  his 
saddle  as  if  he  had  been  struck  from  behind. 

Before  the  rifleman  could  fire  again  Black  Bart 
leaped  high  in  the  air.  His  teeth  closed  on  the 
shoulder  of  the  lyncher  and  the  man  catapulted 
from  his  saddle  to  the  ground.  With  his  yell  in 
their  ears,  Dan  and  Haines  galloped  through  the 
cottonwoods,  and  swept  down  the  lane. 


CHAPTER   XXV 

THE   LONG    RIDE 

A  CHEER  of  triumph  came  from  the  lynchers. 
In  fifty  yards  the  fugitives  learned  the  reason, 
for  they  glimpsed  a  high  set  of  bars  blocking  the 
lane.  Dan  pulled  back  beside  Haines. 

"Can  the  bay  make  it?"  he  called. 

"No.     I'm  done  for." 

For  answer  Dan  caught  the  bridle  of  Lee's 
horse  close  to  the  bit.  They  were  almost  to  the 
bars.  A  dark  shadow  slid  up  and  over  them.  It 
was  Black  Bart,  with  his  head  turned  to  look  back 
even  as  he  jumped,  as  if  he  were  setting  an  example 
which  he  bid  them  follow.  Appallingly  high  the 
bars  rose  directly  in  front  of  them. 

"Now!"  called  Dan  to  the  tall  bay,  and  jerked 
up  on  the  bit. 

Satan  rose  like  a  swallow  to  the  leap.  The 
bay  followed  in  gallant  imitation.  For  an  instant 
they  hung  poised  in  air.  Then  Satan  pitched  to 
the  ground,  landing  safely  and  lightly  on  four  cat- 

252 


The  Long  Ride  253 

like  feet.  A  click  and  a  rattle  behind  them— the 
bay  was  also  over,  but  his  hind  hoofs  had  knocked 
down  the  top  bar.  He  staggered,  reeled  far  to  one 
side,  but  recovering,  swept  on  after  Satan  and 
Dan.  A  yell  of  disappointment  rang  far  behind. 

Glancing  back  Haines  saw  the  foremost  of  the 
pursuers  try  to  imitate  the  feat  of  the  fugitives, 
but  even  with  the  top  bar  down  he  failed.  Man 
and  horse  pitched  to  the  ground. 

For  almost  a  mile  the  lane  held  straight  on,  and 
beyond  stretched  the  open  country.  They  were 
in  that  free  sweep  of  hills  before  the  pursuers 
remounted  beyond  the  bars.  In  daytime  a  mile 
would  have  been  a  small  handicap,  but  with  the 
night  and  the  hills  to  cover  their  flight,  and  with 
such  mounts  as  Satan  and  the  tall  bay,  they  were 
safe.  In  half  an  hour  all  sound  of  them  died  out, 
and  Haines,  following  Dan's  example,  slowed  his 
horse  to  an  easy  gallop. 

The  long  rider  was  puzzled  by  his  companion's 
horsemanship,  for  Dan  rode  leaning  far  to  the 
right  of  his  saddle,  with  his  head  bowed.  Several 
times  Haines  was  on  the  verge  of  speaking,  but  he 
refrained.  He  commenced  to  sing  in  the  exulta 
tion  of  freedom.  An  hour  before  he  had  been 
in  the  "rat-trap"  with  a  circle  of  lynchers  around 
him,  and  only  two  terror-stricken  guards  to  save 


254  The  Untamed 

him  from  the  most  horrible  of  deaths.  Then  came 
Fate  and  tore  him  away  and  gave  him  to  the  liberty 
of  the  boundless  hills.  Fate  in  the  person  of  this 
slender,  sombre  man.  He  stared  at  Dan  with  awe. 

At  the  top  of  a  hill  his  companion  drew  rein, 
reeling  in  the  saddle  with  the  suddenness  of  the 
halt.  However,  in  such  a  horseman,  this  could 
not  be.  It  must  be  merely  a  freak  feature  of  his 
riding. 

"Move, "  said  Dan,  his  breath  coming  in  pants. 
' '  Line  out  and  get  to  her." 

"To  who?"  said  Haines,  utterly  bewildered. 

"Delilah!" 

"What?" 

"Damn  you,  she's  waitin'  for  you." 

"In  the  name  of  God,  Barry,  why  do  you  talk 
like  this  after  you've  saved  me  from  hell?" 

He  stretched  out  his  hand  eagerly,  but  Dan 
reined  Satan  back. 

"Keep  your  hand.  I  hate  you  worse'n  hell. 
There  ain't  room  enough  in  the  world  for  us  both. 
If  you  want  to  thank  me  do  it  by  keepin'  out  of  my 
path.  Because  the  next  time  we  meet  you're 
goin'  to  die,  Haines.  It's  writ  in  a  book.  Now 
feed  your  hoss  the  spur  and  run  for  Kate  Cumber 
land.  But  remember — I'm  goin'  to  get  you  again 
if  I  can." 


The  Long  Ride  255 

"Kate —  '  began  Haines.  "She  sent  you  for 
me?" 

Only  the  yellow  blazing  eyes  made  answer  and 
the  wail  of  a  coyote  far  away  on  the  shadowy  hill. 

"Kate!"  cried  Haines  again,  but  now  there  was 
a  world  of  new  meaning  in  his  voice.  He  swung 
his  horse  and  spurred  down  the  slope. 

At  the  next  hill-crest  he  turned  in  the  saddle,  saw 
the  motionless  rider  still  outlined  against  the  sky, 
and  brought  the  bay  to  a  halt.  He  was  greatly 
troubled.  For  a  reason  mysterious  and  far  be 
yond  the  horizon  of  his  knowledge,  Dan  was  sur 
rendering  Kate  Cumberland  to  him. 

"He's  doing  it  while  he  still  loves  her,"  muttered 
Haines,  "and  am  I  cur  enough  to  take  her  from 
him  after  he  has  saved  me  from  God  knows 
what?" 

He  turned  his  horse  to  ride  back,  but  at  that 
moment  he  caught  the  weird,  the  unearthly  note 
of  Dan's  whistling.  There  was  both  melancholy 
and  gladness  in  it.  The  storm  wind  running  on  the 
hills  and  exulting  in  the  blind  terror  of  the  night 
had  such  a  song  as  this  to  sing. 

"If  he  was  a  man,"  Haines  argued  briefly  with 
himself,  "I'd  do  it.  But  he  isn't  a  man.  He's  a 
devil.  He  has  no  more  heart  than  the  wolf  which 
Owns  him  as  master.  Shall  I  give  a  girl  like  Kate 


256  The  Untamed 

Cumberland  to  that  wild  panther?  She's  mine- 
all  mine!" 

Once  more  he  turned  his  horse  and  this  time' 
galloped  steadily  on  into  the  night. 

When  Haines  dropped  out  of  sight,  Dan's 
whistling  stopped.  He  looked  up  to  the  pitiless 
glitter  of  the  stars.  He  looked  down  to  the  som 
bre  sweep  of  black  hills.  The  wind  was  like  a 
voice  saying  over  and  over  again:  "Failure." 
Everything  was  lost. 

He  slipped  from  the  saddle  and  took  off  his  coat. 
From  his  left  shoulder  the  blood  welled  slowly, 
steadily.  He  tore  a  strip  from  his  shirt  and  at 
tempted  to  make  a  bandage,  but  he  could  not 
manage  it  with  one  hand. 

The  world  thronged  with  hostile  forces  eager 
to  hunt  him  to  the  death.  He  needed  all  his 
strength,  and  now  that  was  ebbing  from  a  wound 
which  a  child  could  have  staunched  for  him,  but 
where  could  he  find  even  a  friendly  child  ?  Truly 
all  was  lost!  The  satyr  or  the  black  panther 
once  had  less  need  of  man's  help  than  had  Dan, 
but  now  he  was  hurt  in  body  and  soul.  That 
matchless  co-ordination  of  eye  with  hand  and  foot 
was  gone.  He  saw  Kate  smiling  into  the  eyes  of 
Haines;  he  imagined  Bill  Kilduff  sitting  on  the 
back  of  Satan,  controlling  all  that  glorious  force 


The  Long  Ride  257 

and  speed ;  he  saw  Hal  Purvis  fighting  venomously 
with  Bart  for  the  mastery  which  eventually  must 
belong  to  the  man. 

He  turned  to  the  wild  pair.  Vaguely  they 
sensed  a  danger  threatening  their  master,  and  their 
eyes  mourned  for  his  hurt.  He  buried  his  face  on 
the  strong,  smooth  shoulder  of  Satan,  and  groaned. 
There  came  the  answering  whinny  and  the  hot 
breath  of  the  horse  against  the  side  of  his  face. 
There  was  the  whine  of  Black  Bart  behind  him, 
then  the  rough  tongue  of  the  wolf  touched  the 
dripping  fingers.  Then  he  felt  a  hot  gust  of  the 
wolf's  breath  against  his  hand. 

Too  late  he  realized  what  that  meant.  He 
whirled  with  a  cry  of  command,  but  the  snarl  of 
Black  Bart  cut  it  short.  The  wolf  stood  bristling, 
trembling  with  eagerness  for  the  kill,  his  great 
white  fangs  gleaming,  his  snarl  shrill  and  guttural 
with  the  frenzy  of  his  desire,  for  he  had  tasted 
blood.  Dan  understood  as  he  stared  into  the 
yellow  green  fury  of  the  wolf's  eyes,  yet  he  felt  no 
fear,  only  a  glory  in  the  fierce,  silent  conflict.  He 
could  not  move  the  fingers  of  his  left  hand,  but 
those  of  his  right  curved,  stiffened.  He  desired 
nothing  more  in  the  world  than  the  contact  with 
that  great,  bristling  black  body,  to  leap  aside  from 
those  ominous  teeth,  to  set  his  fingers  in  the  wolf's 


258  The  Untamed 

throat.  Reason  might  have  told  him  the  folly 
of  such  a  strife,  but  all  that  remained  in  his  mind 
was  the  love  of  combat — a  blind  passion.  His 
eyes  glowed  like  those  of  the  wolf,  yellow  fire 
against  the  green.  Black  Bart  crouched  still 
lower,  gathering  himself  for  the  spring,  but  he  was 
held  by  the  man's  yellow  gleaming  eyes.  They 
invited  the  battle.  Fear  set  its  icy  hand  on  the 
soul  of  the  wolf. 

The  man  seemed  to  tower  up  thrice  his  normal 
height.  His  voice  rang,  harsh,  sudden,  unlike  the 
utterance  of  man  or  beast:  "Down!" 

Fear  conquered  Black  Bart.  The  fire  died  from 
his  eyes.  His  body  sank  as  if  from  exhaustion. 
He  crawled  on  his  belly  to  the  feet  of  his  master  and 
whined  an  unutterable  submission. 

And  then  that  hand,  warm  and  wet  with  the 
thing  whose  taste  set  the  wolf's  heart  on  fire  with 
the  lust  to  kill,  was  thrust  against  his  nose.  He 
leaped  back  with  bared  teeth,  growling  horribly. 
The  eyes  commanded  him  back,  commanded  him 
relentlessly.  He  howled  dismally  to  the  senseless 
stars,  yet  he  came;  and  once  more  that  hand  was 
thrust  against  his  nose.  He  licked  the  fingers. 

That  blood-lust  came  hotter  than  before,  but  his 
fear  was  greater.  He  licked  the  strange  hand 
again,  whining.  Then  the  master  kneeled.  An- 


The  Long  Ride  259 

other  hand,  clean,  and  free  from  that  horrible 
warm,  wet  sign  of  death,  fell  upon  his  shaggy  back. 
The  voice  which  he  knew  of  old  came  to  him,  blew 
away  the  red  mist  from  his  soul,  comforted  him. 

' '  Poor  Bart ! ' '  said  the  voice,  and  the  hand  went 
slowly  over  his  head.  ' ' It  weren't  your  fault." 

The  stallion  whinnied  softly.  A  deep  growl 
formed  in  the  throat  of  the  wolf,  a  mighty  effort 
at  speech.  And  now,  like  a  gleam  of  light  in  a  dark 
room,  Dan  remembered  the  house  of  Buck  Daniels. 
There,  at  least,  they  could  not  refuse  him  aid. 
He  drew  on  his  coat,  though  the  effort  set  him 
sweating  with  agony,  got  his  foot  in  the  stirrup 
with  difficulty,  and  dragged  himself  to  the  saddle. 
Satan  started  at  a  swift  gallop. 

' ' Faster,  Satan !     Faster,  partner ! ' ' 

What  a  response!  The  strong  body  settled  a 
little  closer  to  the  earth  as  the  stride  increased. 
The  rhythm  of  the  pace  grew  quicker,  smoother. 
There  was  no  adequate  phrase  to  describe  the 
matchless  motion.  And  in  front — always  just  a 
little  in  front  with  the  plunging  forefeet  of  the 
horse  seeming  to  threaten  him  at  every  stride, 
ran  Black  Bart  with  his  head  turned  as  if  he  were 
the  guard  and  guide  of  the  fugitive. 

Dan  called  and  Black  Bart  yelped  in  answer. 
Satan  tossed  up  his  head  and  neighed  as  he  raced 


260  The  Untamed 

along.  The  two  replies  were  like  human  assur 
ances  that  there  was  still  a  fighting  chance. 

The  steady  loss  of  blood  was  telling  rapidly 
now.  He  clutched  the  pommel,  set  his  teeth,  and 
felt  oblivion  settle  slowly  and  surely  upon  him. 
As  his  senses  left  him  he  noted  the  black  outlines 
of  the  next  high  range  of  hills,  a  full  ten  miles 
away. 

He  only  knew  the  pace  of  Satan  never  slackened. 
There  seemed  no  effort  in  it.  He  was  like  one  of 
those  fabled  horses,  the  offspring  of  the  wind,  and 
like  the  wind,  tireless,  eternal  of  motion. 

A  longer  oblivion  fell  upon  Dan.  As  he  roused 
from  it  he  found  himself  slipping  in  the  saddle. 
He  struggled  desperately  to  grasp  the  saddle-horn 
and  managed  to  draw  himself  up  again;  but  the 
warning  was  sufficient  to  make  him  hunt  about  for 
some  means  of  making  himself  more  secure  in  the 
saddle.  It  was  a  difficult  task  to  do  anything  with 
only  one  hand,  but  he  managed  to  tie  his  left  arm 
to  the  bucking-strap.  If  the  end  came,  at  least 
he  was  sure  to  die  in  the  saddle.  Vaguely  he  was 
aware  as  he  looked  around  that  the  black  hills 
were  no  longer  in  the  distance.  He  was  among 
them. 

On  went  Satan.  His  breath  was  coming  more 
and  more  laboured.  It  seemed  to  Dan's  dim  con- 


The  Long  Ride  261 

sciousness  that  some  of  the  spring  was  gone  from 
that  glorious  stride  which  swept  on  and  on  with 
the  slightest  undulation,  like  a  swallow  skimming 
before  the  wind;  but  so  long  as  strength  remained 
he  knew  that  Satan  would  never  falter  in  his  pace. 
As  the  delirium  swept  once  more  shadow-like  on  his 
brain,  he  allowed  himself  to  fall  forward,  and  wound 
his  fingers  as  closely  as  possible  in  the  thick  mane. 
His  left  arm  jerked  horribly  against  the  bonds. 
Black  night  swallowed  him  once  more. 

Only  his  invincible  heart  kept  Satan  going 
throughout  that  last  stretch.  His  ears  lay  flat 
on  his  neck,  lifting  only  when  the  master  muttered 
and  raved  in  his  fever.  Foam  flew  back  against 
his  throat  and  breast.  His  breath  came  shorter, 
harder,  with  a  rasp;  but  the  gibbering  voice  of 
his  rider  urged  him  on,  faster,  and  faster.  They 
topped  a  small  hill,  and  a  little  to  the  left  and  a 
mile  away,  rose  a  group  of  cottonwoods,  and  Dan, 
recovering  consciousness,  knew  the  house  of  Buck. 
He  also  knew  that  his  last  moment  of  conscious 
ness  was  come.  Surges  of  sleepy  weakness  swept 
over  his  brain.  He  could  never  guide  Satan  to  the 
house. 

"  Bart ! "  he  called  feebly. 

The  wolf  whining,  dropped  back  beside  him. 
Dan  pointed  his  right  arm  straight  ahead.  Black 


262  The  Untamed 

Bart  leaped  high  into  the  air  and  his  shrill  yelp 
told  that  he  had  seen  the  cottonwoods  and  the 
house. 

Dan  summoned  the  last  of  his  power  and  threw 
the  reins  over  the  head  of  Satan. 

"Take  us  in,  Bart,"  he  said,  and  twisting  his 
fingers  into  Satan's  mane  fell  across  the  saddle- 
horn. 

Satan,  understanding  the  throwing  of  the  reins 
as  an  order  to  halt,  came  to  a  sharp  stop,  and  the 
body  of  the  senseless  rider  sagged  to  one  side. 
Black  Bart  caught  the  reins.  They  were  bitter 
and  salt  with  blood  of  the  master. 

He  tugged  hard.  Satan  whinnied  his  doubt, 
and  the  growl  of  Black  Bart  answered,  half  a 
threat.  In  a  moment  more  they  were  picking 
their  way  through  the  brush  towards  the  house  of 
Buck  Daniels. 

Satan  was  far  gone  with  exhaustion.  His  head 
drooped;  his  legs  sprawled  with  every  step;  his 
eyes  were  glazed.  Yet  he  staggered  on  with  the 
great  black  wolf  pulling  at  the  reins.  There  was 
the  salt  taste  of  blood  in  the  mouth  of  Black  Bart ; 
so  he  stalked  on,  saliva  dripping  from  his  mouth, 
and  his  eyes  glazed  with  the  lust  to  kill.  His 
furious  snarling  was  the  threat  which  urged  on  the 
stallion- 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

BLACK  BART  TURNS  NURSE 

IT  was  old  Mrs.  Daniels  who  woke  first  at  the 
sound  of  scratching  and  growling.  She  roused 
her  husband  and  son,  and  all  three  went  to  the 
door,  Buck  in  the  lead  with  his  six-gun  in  his  hand. 
At  sight  of  the  wolf  he  started  back  and  raised  the 
gun,  but  Black  Bart  fawned  about  his  feet. 

' '  Don't  shoot — it's  a  dog,  an'  there's  his  master ! " 
cried  Sam.  "By  the  Lord,  they's  a  dead  man  tied 
on  that  there  hoss!" 

Dan  lay  on  Satan,  half  fallen  from  the  saddle, 
with  his  head  hanging  far  down,  only  sustained 
by  the  strength  of  the  rein.  The  stallion,  wholly 
spent,  stood  with  his  legs  braced,  his  head  low, 
and  his  breath  coming  in  great  gasps.  The  family 
ran  to  the  rescue.  Sam  cut  the  rein  and  Buck 
lowered  the  limp  body  in  his  arms. 

"Buck,  is  he  dead?"  whispered  Mrs.  Daniels. 

"I  don't  feel  no  heart  beat,  "  said  Buck.  "Help 
me  fetch  him  into  the  house,  Dad!" 

263 


264  The  Untamed 

"Look  out  for  the  boss!"  cried  Sam. 

Buck  started  back  with  his  burden  just  in  time, 
for  Satan,  surrendering  to  his  exhaustion,  pitched 
to  the  ground,  and  lay  with  sprawling  legs  like  a 
spent  dog  rather  than  a  horse. 

"Let  the  hoss  be,"  said  Buck.  "Help  me  with 
the  man.  He's  hurt  bad." 

Mrs.  Daniels  ran  ahead  and  lighted  a  lamp. 
They  laid  the  body  carefully  upon  a  bed.  It 
made  a  ghastly  sight,  the  bloodless  face  with  the 
black  hair  fallen  wildly  across  the  forehead,  the 
mouth  loosely  open,  and  the  lips  black  with  dust. 

"Dad!"  said  Buck.  "I  think  I've  seen  this 
feller.  God  knows  if  he's  livin'  or  dead. " 

He  dropped  to  his  knees  and  pressed  his  ear 
over  Dan's  heart. 

"I  can't  feel  no  motion.  Ma,  get  that  hand 
mirror — 

She  had  it  already  and  now  held  it  close  to  the 
lips  of  the  wounded  man.  When  she  drew  it  away 
their  three  heads  drew  close  together. 

' '  They 's  a  mist  on  it !     He's  livin ' ! "  cried  Buck. 

"It  ain't  nothing,"  said  Sam.  "The  glass  ain't 
quite  clear,  that's  all." 

Mrs.  Daniels  removed  the  last  doubt  by  running 
her  finger  across  the  surface  of  the  glass.  It  left 
an  unmistakable  mark 


Black  Bart  Turns  Nurse          265 

They  wasted  no  moment  then.  They  brought 
hot  and  cold  water,  washed  out  his  wound,  cleansed 
away  the  blood;  and  while  Mrs.  Daniels  and  her 
husband  fixed  the  bandage,  Buck  pounded  and 
rubbed  the  limp  body  to  restore  the  circulation. 
In  a  few  minutes  his  efforts  were  rewarded  by  a 
great  sigh  from  Dan. 

He  shouted  in  triumph,  and  then:  "By  God, 
it's  Whistlin'  Dan  Barry.  " 

"It  is!"  said  Sam.  "Buck,  they's  been  devils 
workin'  tonight.  It  sure  took  more'n  one  man  to 
nail  him  this  way.  " 

They  fell  to  work  frantically.  There  was  a  per 
ceptible  pulse,  the  breathing  was  faint  but  steady, 
and  a  touch  of  colour  came  in  the  face. 

"His  arm  will  be  all  right  in  a  few  days, "  said 
Mrs.  Daniels,  "but  he  may  fall  into  a  fever.  He's 
turnin'  his  head  from  side  to  side  and  talkin'. 
What's  he  sayin',  Buck?" 

"He's  sayin':   'Faster,  Satan.'  " 

"That's  the  hoss,"  interpreted  Sam. 

"'Hold  us  straight,  Bart!'  That's  what  he's 
sayin y  now." 

"That's  the  wolf." 

"An'  it's  all  for  Delilah!'  Who's  Delilah, 
Dad?" 

"Maybe  it's  some  feller  Dan  knows." 


266  The  Untamed 

"Some  feller?"  repeated  Mrs.  Daniels  with 
scorn.  ' '  It's  some  worthless  girl  who  got  Whistlin' 
Dan  into  this  trouble." 

Dan's  eyes  opened  but  there  was  no  understand 
ing  in  them. 

"Haines,  I  hate  you  worse'n  hell!" 

"It's  Lee  Haines  who  done  this!"  cried  Sam. 

"If  it  is,  I'll  cut  out  his  heart!" 

"It  can't  be  Haines,"  broke  in  Mrs.  Daniels. 
"Old  man  Perkins,  didn't  he  tell  us  that  Haines 
was  the  man  that  Whistlin'  Dan  Barry  had  brought 
down  into  Elkhead?  How  could  Haines  do  this 
shootin'  while  he  was  in  jail?" 

"Ma,"  said  Sam,  "you  watch  Whistlin'  Dan. 
Buck  an'  me'll  take  care  of  the  hoss — that  black 
stallion.  He's  pretty  near  all  gone,  but  he's  worth 
savin'.  What  I  don't  see  is  how  he  found  his  way 
to  us.  It's  certain  Dan  didn't  guide  him  all  the 
way." 

"How  does  the  wind  find  its  way?"  said  Buck. 
"It  was  the  wolf  that  brought  Dan  here,  but 
standin'  here  talkin'  won't  tell  us  how.  Let's  go 
out  an'  fix  up  Satan." 

It  was  by  no  means  an  easy  task.  As  they 
approached  the  horse  he  heaved  himself  up,  snort 
ing,  and  stood  with  legs  braced,  and  pendant  head. 
Even  his  eyes  were  glazed  with  exhaustion,  but 


Black  Bart  Turns  Nurse          267 

behind  them  it  was  easy  to  guess  the  dauntless 
anger  which  raged  against  these  intruders.  Yet 
he  would  have  been  helpless  against  them.  It  was 
Black  Bart  who  interfered  at  this  point.  He  stood 
before  them,  his  hair  bristling  and  his  teeth  bared. 

Sam  suggested:  "Leave  the  door  of  the  house 
open  an'  let  him  hear  Whistlin'  Dan's  voice." 

It  was  done.  At  once  the  delirious  voice  of 
Dan  stole  out  to  them  faintly.  The  wolf  turned 
his  head  to  Satan  with  a  plaintive  whine,  as  if 
asking  why  the  stallion  remained  there  when  that 
voice  was  audible.  Then  he  raced  for  the  open 
door  and  disappeared  into  the  house. 

"Hurry  in,  Buck!"  called  Sam.  "Maybe  the 
wolf '11  scare  Ma!" 

They  ran  inside  and  found  Black  Bart  on  the  bed 
straddling  the  body  of  Whistling  Dan,  and  growl 
ing  at  poor  Mrs.  Daniels,  who  crouched  in  a 
corner  of  the  room.  It  required  patient  work 
before  he  was  convinced  that  they  actually  meant 
no  harm  to  his  master. 

"What's  the  reason  of  it?"  queried  Sam  help 
lessly.  "The  damn  wolf  let  us  take  Dan  off  the 
hoss  without  makin'  any  fuss." 

"Sure  he  did,"  assented  Buck,  "but  he  ain't 
sure  of  me  yet,  an'  every  time  he  comes  near  me 
he  sends  the  cold  chills  up  my  back." 


268  The  Untamed 

Having  decided  that  he  might  safely  trust  them 
to  touch  Dan's  body,  the  great  wolf  went  the  round 
and  sniffed  them  carefully,  his  hair  bristling  and 
the  forbidding  growl  lingering  in  his  throat.  In 
the  end  he  apparently  decided  that  they  might  be 
tolerated,  though  he  must  keep  an  eye  upon  their 
actions.  So  he  sat  down  beside  the  bed  and  fol 
lowed  with  an  anxious  eye  every  movement  of 
Mrs.  Daniels.  The  men  went  back  to  the  stallion. 
He  still  stood  with  legs  braced  far  apart,  and  head 
hanging  low.  Another  mile  of  that  long  race  and 
he  would  have  dropped  dead  beneath  his  rider. 

Nevertheless  at  the  coming  of  the  strangers  he 
reared  up  his  head  a  little  and  tried  to  run  away. 
Buck  caught  the  dangling  reins  near  the  bit. 
Satan  attempted  to  strike  out  with  his  forehoof. 
It  was  a  movement  as  clumsy  and  slow  as  the  blow 
of  a  child,  and  Buck  easily  avoided  it.  Realizing 
his  helplessness  Satan  whinnied  a  heart-breaking 
appeal  for  help  to  his  unfailing  friend,  Black  Bart. 
The  wail  of  the  wolf  answered  dolefully  from  the 
house. 

' '  Good  Lord, ' '  groaned  Buck.  ' '  Now  we'll  have 
that  black  devil  on  our  hands  again." 

"No,  we  won't,"  chuckled  Sam,  "the  wolf  won't 
leave  Dan.  Come  on  along,  old  hoss." 

Nevertheless  it  required  hard  labour  to  urge  and 


Black  Bart  Turns  Nurse          269 

drag  the  stallion  to  the  stable.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  they  had  the  saddle  off  and  a  manger  full  of 
fodder  before  him.  They  went  back  to  the  house 
with  the  impression  of  having  done  a  day's  work. 

"Which  it  shows  the  fool  nature  of  a  hoss," 
moralized  Sam.  "That  stallion  would  be  willin' 
to  lay  right  down  and  die  for  the  man  that's  jest 
rode  him  up  to  the  front  door  of  death,  but  he 
wishes  everlastingly  that  he  had  the  strength  to 
kick  the  daylight  out  of  you  an'  me  that's  been 
tryin'  to  take  care  of  him.  You  jest  write  this 
down  inside  your  brain,  Buck:  a  hoss  is  like  a 
woman.  They  jest  nacherally  ain't  no  reason  in 
'em!" 

They  found  Dan  in  a  heavy  sleep,  his  breath 
coming  irregularly.  Mrs.  Daniels  stated  that  it 
was  the  fever  which  she  had  feared  and  she  offered 
to  sit  up  with  the  sick  man  through  the  rest  of  that 
night.  Buck  lifted  her  from  the  chair  and  took  her 
place  beside  the  bed. 

' '  No  one  but  me  is  goin'  to  take  care  of  Whistlin' 
Dan,"  he  stated. 

So  the  vigil  began,  with  Buck  watching  Dan, 
and  Black  Bart  alert,  suspicious,  ready  at  the  first 
wrong  move  to  leap  at  the  throat  of  Buck. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

NOBODY   LAUGHS 

THAT  night  the  power  which  had  sent  Dan  into 
Elkhead,  Jim  Silent,  stood  his  turn  at  watch  in  the 
narrow  canyon  below  the  old  Salton  place.  In  the 
house  above  him  sat  Terry  Jordan,  Rhinehart,  and 
Hal  Purvis  playing  poker,  while  Bill  Kilduff  drew  a 
drowsy  series  of  airs  from  his  mouth-organ.  His 
music  was  getting  on  the  nerves  of  the  other  three, 
particularly  Jordan  and  Rhinehart,  for  Purvis  was 
winning  steadily. 

Let  up ! "  broke  out  Jordan  at  last,  pounding  on 
the  table  with  his  fist.  "Your  damn  tunes  are 
gettin'  my  goat.  Nobody  can  think  while  you're 
hittin'  it  up  like  that.  This  ain't  no  prayer 
meetin',  Bill." 

For  answer  Kilduff  removed  the  mouth-organ 
to  take  a  deep  breath,  blinked  his  small  eyes,  and 
began  again  in  a  still  higher  key. 

' '  Go  slow,  Terry, ' '  advised  Rhinehart  in  a  soft 
tone.  "Kilduff  ain't  feelin'  none  too  well  tonight. " 

"What's  the  matter  with  him?"   growled  the 
270 


Nobody   Laughs  271 

scar-faced  man,  none  too  anxious  to  start  an  open 
quarrel  with  the  formidable  Kilduff. 

Rhinehart  jerked  his  thumb  over  his  shoulder. 

"The  gal  in  there.  He  don't  like  the  game  the 
chief  has  been  workin'  with  her." 

"Neither  do  I,"  said  Purvis,  "but  I'd  do  worse 
than  the  chief  done  to  get  Lee  Haines  back." 

"Get  Haines  back?"  said  Kilduff,  his  voice 
ominously  deep.  "There  ain't  no  chance  of  that. 
If  there  was  I  wouldn't  have  no  kick  against  the 
chief  for  what  he's  done  to  Kate." 

"Maybe  there's  some  chance,"  suggested  Rhine- 
hart. 

' '  Chance,  hell ! ' '  cried  Kilduff.  ' '  One  man  agin  a 
whole  town  full  ?  I  say  all  that  Jim  has  done  is  to 
get  Whistlin'  Dan  plugged  full  of  lead." 

"Well,"  said  Purvis,  "if  that's  done,  ain't  the 
game  worth  while?" 

The  rest  of  the  men  chuckled  and  even  Kilduff 
smiled. 

"Old  Joe  Cumberland  is  sure  takin'  it  hard," 
said  "Calamity"  Rhinehart.  "All  day  he's  been 
lightin'  into  the  girl." 

"The  funny  part,"  mused  Purvis,  "is  that  the 
old  boy  really  means  it.  I  think  he'd  of  sawed  off 
his  right  hand  to  keep  her  from  goin'  to  Whistlin' 
Dan." 


272  The  Untamed 

"An'  her  sittin'  white-faced  an'  starin'  at  nothin' 
an'  tryin'  to  comfort  him!"  rumbled  Kilduff, 
standing  up  under  the  stress  of  his  unwonted 
emotion.  "My  God,  she  was  apologizin'  for  what 
she  done,  an'  tryin'  to  cheer  him  up,  an'  all  the  time 
her  heart  was  bustin'.  " 

He  pulled  out  a  violently  coloured  bandana  and 
wiped  his  forehead. 

"When  we  all  get  down  to  hell, ' '  he  said,  ' '  they'll 
be  quite  a  little  talkin'  done  about  this  play  of 
Jim's — you  c'n  lay  to  that." 

"Who's  that  singin'  down  the  canyon?"  asked 
Jordan.  "It  sounds  like— 

He  would  not  finish  his  sentence  as  if  he  feared  to 
prove  a  false  prophet.  They  rose  as  one  man  and 
stared  stupidly  at  one  another. 

"Haines!"  broke  out  Rhinehart  at  last. 

"It  ain't  no  ways  possible!"  said  Kilduff. 
"And  yet— by  God,  it  is!" 

They  rushed  for  the  door  and  made  out  two 
figures  approaching,  one  on  horseback,  and  the 
other  on  foot. 

"Haines!"  called  Purvis,  his  shrill  voice  rising 
to  a  squeak  with  his  excitement. 

"Here  I  am!"  rang  back  the  mellow  tones  of  the 
big  lone  rider,  and  in  a  moment  he  and  Jim  Silent 
entered  the  room. 


Nobody   Laughs  273 

Glad  faces  surrounded  him.  There  was  infinite 
wringing  of  his  hand  and  much  pounding  on  the 
back.  Kilduff  and  Rhinehart  pushed  him  back 
into  a  chair.  Jordan  ran  for  a  flask  of  whisky, 
but  Haines  pushed  the  bottle  away. 

"I  don't  want  anything  on  my  breath,"  he  said, 
"because  I  have  to  talk  to  a  woman.  Where's 
Kate?" 

The  men  glanced  at  each  other  uneasily. 

"She's  here,  all  right,"  said  Silent  hastily. 
"Now. tell  us  how  you  got  away." 

' ' Afterwards, ' '  said  Haines.      "But  first  Kate. ' ' 

"What's  your  hurry  to  see  her?"  said  Kilduff. 

Haines  laughed  exultantly. 

"You're  jealous,  Bill!  Why,  man,  she  sent  for 
me!  Sent  Whistling  Dan  himself  for  me." 

"Maybe  she  did,"  said  Kilduff,  "but  that  ain't 
no  partic'lar  sign  I'm  jealous.  Tell  us  about  the 
row  in  Elkhead." 

"That's  it,  "said  Jordan.     "We  can't  wait,  Lee." 

"Just  one  word  explains  it,"  said  Haines. 
"Barry!" 

"What  did  he  do?"  This  from  every  throat 
at  once. 

"Broke  into  the  jail  with  all  Elkhead  at  his  heels 
flashing  their  six-guns — knocked  down  the  two 
guards — unlocked  my  bracelets  (God  knows  where 


274  The  Untamed 

he  got  the  key!) — shoved  me  onto  the  bay — drove 
away  with  me — shot  down  two  men  while  his  wolf 
pulled  down  a  third — made  my  horse  jump  a  set  of 
bars  as  high  as  my  head — and  here  I  am!" 

There  was  a  general  loosening  of  bandanas. 
The  eyes  of  Jim  Silent  gleamed. 

"And  all  Elkhead  knows  that  he's  the  man  who 
took  you  out  of  jail?"  he  asked  eagerly. 

"Right.  He's  put  his  mark  on  them,"  re 
sponded  Haines,  "but  the  girl,  Jim!" 

"By  God!"  said  Silent.  "I've  got  him!  The 
whole  world  is  agin  him — the  law  an'  the  outlaws. 
He's  done  for!" 

He  stopped  short. 

"Unless  you're  feelin'  uncommon  grateful  to 
him  for  what  he  done  for  you,  Lee?" 

"He  told  me  he  hated  me  like  hell,"  said  Haines. 
"I'm  grateful  to  him  as  I'd  be  to  a  mountain  lion 
that  happened  to  do  me  a  good  turn.  Now  for 
Kate!" 

"Let  him  see  her,"  said  Silent.  "That's  the 
quickest  way.  Call  her  out,  Haines.  We'll  take 
a  little  walk  while  you're  with  her." 

The  moment  they  were  gone  Haines  rushed  to 
the  door  and  knocked  loudly.  It  was  opened  at 
once  and  Kate  stood  before  him.  She  winced  at 
sight  of  him. 


Nobody  Laughs  275 

"It's  I,  Kate!"  he  cried  joyously.  "I've  come 
back  from  the  dead." 

She  stepped  from  the  room  and  closed  the  door 
behind  her. 

"What  of  Dan?    Tell  me!    Was— was  he  hurt ?" 

"Dan?"  he  repeated  with  an  impatient  smile. 
"No,  he  isn't  hurt.  He  pulled  me  through — got 
me  out  of  jail  and  safe  into  the  country.  He  had 
to  drop  two  or  three  of  the  boys  to  do  it." 

Her  head  fell  back  a  little  and  in  the  dim  light,  for 
the  first  time,  he  saw  her  face  with  some  degree  of 
clearness,  and  started  at  its  pallor. 

"What's  the  matter,  Kate — dear?"  he  said 
anxiously. 

"What  of  Dan?"  she  asked  faintly. 

"I  don't  know.  He's  outlawed.  He's  done  for. 
The  whole  range  will  be  against  him.  But  why 
are  you  so  worried  about  him,  Kate? — when  he 
told  me  that  you  loved  me 

She  straightened. 

"Love?     You?" 

His  face  lengthened  almost  ludicrously. 

"But  why — Dan  came  for  me — he  said  you  sent 
him — he —  "  he  broke  down,  stammering,  utterly 
confused. 

"This  is  why  I  sent  him!"  she  answered,  and 
throwing  open  the  door  gestured  to  him  to  enter. 


276  The  Untamed 

He  followed  her  and  saw  the  lean  figure  of  old 
Joe  Cumberland  lying  on  a  blanket  close  to  the 
wall. 

"That's  why!"  she  whispered. 

"How  does  he  come  here?" 

"Ask  the  devil  in  his  human  form!  Ask  your 
friend,  Jim  Silent!" 

He  walked  into  the  outer  room  with  his  head  low. 
He  found  the  others  already  returned.  Their 
carefully  controlled  grins  spoke  volumes. 

"Where's  Silent?"  he  asked  heavily. 

"He's  gone,"  said  Jordan. 

Hal  Purvis  took  Haines  to  one  side. 

"Take  a  brace,"  he  urged. 

"She  hates  me,  Hal,"  said  the  big  fellow  sadly. 
"For  God's  sake,  was  there  no  other  way  of  getting 
me  out?" 

"Not  one!  Pull  yourself  together,  Lee.  There 
ain't  no  one  for  you  to  hold  a  spite  agin.  Would 
you  rather  be  back  in  Elkhead  dangling  from  the 
end  of  a  rope?" 

"It  seems  to  have  been  a  sort  of — joke,"  said 
Haines. 

"Exactly.  But  at  that  sort  of  a  joke  nobody 
laughs!" 

"And  Whistling  Dan  Barry?" 

"He's  done  for.     We're  all  agin  him,  an'  now 


Nobody  Laughs  277 

even  the  rangers  will  help  us  hunt  him  down. 
Think  it  over  careful,  Haines.  You're  agin  him 
because  you  want  the  girl.  I  want  that  damned 
wolf  of  his,  Black  Bart.  Kilduff  would  rather  get 
into  the  saddle  of  Satan  than  ride  to  heaven.  An' 
Jim  Silent  won't  never  rest  till  he  sees  Dan  lyin'  on 
the  ground  with  a  bullet  through  his  heart.  Here's 
four  of  us.  Each  of  us  want  something  that 
belongs  to  him,  from  his  life  to  his  dog.  Haines, 
I'm  askin'  you  man  to  man,  was  there  any  one  ever 
born  who  could  get  away  from  four  men  like  us  ? " 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

WHISTLING   DAN,    DESPERADO 

IT  was  an  urgent  business  which  sent  Silent 
galloping  over  the  hills  before  dawn.  When  the 
first  light  came  he  was  close  to  the  place  of  Gus 
Morris.  He  slowed  his  horse  to  a  trot,  but  after 
a  careful  reconnoitring,  seeing  no  one  stirring 
around  the  sheriff's  house,  he  drew  closer  and  com 
menced  to  whistle  a  range  song,  broken  here  and 
there  with  a  significant  phrase  which  sounded  like 
a  signal.  Finally  a  cloth  was  waved  from  a  win 
dow,  and  Silent,  content,  turned  his  back  on  the 
house,  and  rode  away  at  a  walk. 

Within  half  an  hour  the  pounding  of  a  horse 
approached  from  behind.  The  plump  sheriff  came 
to  a  halt  beside  him,  jouncing  in  the  saddle  with 
the  suddenness  of  the  stop. 

"What 's  up  ? "  he  called  eagerly. 

"Whistlin'  Dan." 

"What's  new  about  him  ?  I  know  they're  talkin' 
about  that  play  he  made  agin  Haines.  They's 
some  says  he's  a  faster  man  than  you,  Jim!" 

278 


Whistling"  Dan,  Desperado       279 

"They  say  too  damned  much!"  snarled  Silent. 
"This  is  what's  new.  Whistlin'  Dan  Barry — no 
less — has  busted  open  the  jail  at  Elkhead  an'  set 
Lee  Haines  free." 

The  sheriff  could  not  speak. 

"I  fixed  it,  Gus.  I  staged  the  whole  little 
game." 

"You  fixed  it  with  Whistlin'  Dan?" 

"Don't  ask  me  how  I  worked  it.  The  pint  is 
that  he  did  the  job.  He  got  into  the  jail  while  the 
lynchers  was  guardin'  it,  gettin'  ready  for  a  rush. 
They  opened  fire.  It  was  after  dark  last  night. 
Haines  an'  Dan  made  a  rush  for  it  from  the  stable 
on  their  hosses.  They  was  lynchers  everywhere. 
Haines  didn't  have  no  gun.  Dan  wouldn't  trust 
him  with  one.  He  did  the  shootin'  himself.  He 
dropped  two  of  them  with  two  shots.  His  devil  of 
a  wolf-dog  brung  down  another." 

"Shootin'  at  night?" 

"Shootin'  at  night,"  nodded  Silent.  "An' 
now,  Gus,  they's  only  one  thing  left  to  complete 
my  little  game — an'  that's  to  get  Whistlin'  Dan 
Barry  proclaimed  an  outlaw  an'  put  a  price  on  his 
head, savvy?" 

"Why  d'you  hate  him  so?"  asked  Morris  cu 
riously. 

"Morris,  why  d'you  hate  smallpox?" 


280  The  Untamed 

' '  Because  a  man's  got  no  chance  fightin'  agin  it." 

"Gus,  that's  why  I  hate  Whistlin'  Dan,  but  I 
ain't  here  to  argue.  I  want  you  to  get  Dan  pro 
claimed  an  outlaw." 

The  sheriff  scowled  and  bit  his  lip. 

"I  can't  do  it,  Jim." 

"Why  the  hell  can't  you?" 

"Don't  go  jumpin'  down  my  throat.  It  ain't 
human  to  double  cross  nobody  the  way  you're 
double  crossin'  that  kid.  He's  clean.  He  fights 
square.  He's  jest  done  you  a  good  turn.  I  can't 
do  it,  Jim." 

There  was  an  ominous  silence. 

"Gus, "  said  the  outlaw,  "how  many  thousand 
have  I  given  you  ? " 

The  sheriff  winced. 

"I  dunno,"  he  said,  "a  good  many,  Jim." 

"An'  now  you're  goin'  to  lay  down  on  me?" 

Another  pause. 

"People  are  gettin'  pretty  excited  nowadays," 
went  on  Silent  carelessly.  "Maybe  they'd  get  a 
lot  more  excited  if  they  was  to  know  jest  how  much 
I've  paid  you,  Gus." 

Thesheriff  struck  his  forehead  withla  pudgy  hand. 

"When  a  man's  sold  his  soul  to  the  devil  they 
ain't  no  way  of  buyin'  it  back." 

"When  you're  all  waked  up, "  said  Silent  sooth- 


Whistling  Dan,  Desperado       281 

ingly,  "they  ain't  no  more  reasonable  man  than 
you,  Gus.  But  sometimes  you  get  to  seein'  things 
cross-eyed.  Here's  my  game.  What  do  you 
think  they'd  do  in  Elkhead  if  a  letter  came  for  Dan 
Barry  along  about  now? " 

"  The  boys  must  be  pretty  hot,"  said  the  sheriff. 
"I  suppose  the  letter'd  be  opened." 

"It  would,"  said  the  outlaw.  "You're  sure  a 
clever  feller,  Gus.  You  c'n  see  a  white  hoss  in  the 
sunlight.  Now  what  d'you  suppose  they'd  think 
if  they  opened  a  letter  addressed  to  Dan  Barry  and 
read  something  like  this : 

' '  '  DEAR  DAN  :  You  made  great  play  for  L.  H. 
None  of  us  is  going  to  forget  it.  Maybe  the  thing 
for  you  to  do  is  to  lay  low  for  a  while.  Then  join 
us  any  time  you  want  to.  We  all  think  nobody 
could  of  worked  that  stunt  any  smoother  than  you 
done.  The  rest  of  the  boys  say  that  two  thousand 
ain't  enough  for  the  work  you've  done.  They  vote 
that  you  get  an  extra  thousand  for  it.  I'm  agree 
able  about  that,  and  when  you  get  short  of  cash 
just  drop  up  and  see  us — you  know  where.. 

1 '  '  That's  a  great  bluff  you've  made  about  being 
on  my  trail.  Keep  it  up.  It'll  fool  everybody  for 
a  while.  They'll  think,  maybe,  that  what  you 
did  for  L.  H.  was  because  he  was  your  personal 
friend.  They  won't  suspect  that  you're  now  one  of 
us.  Adios, 

"'J.  S.'" 


282  The  Untamed 

Silent  waited  for  the  effect  of  this  missive  to 
show  in  Morris's  face. 

"Supposin'  they  was  to  read  a  letter  like  that, 
Gus.  D'you  think  maybe  it'd  sort  of  peeve 
them?" 

"He'd  be  outlawed  inside  of  two  days!" 

"Right.  Here's  the  letter.  An'  you're  goin'  to 
see  that  it's  delivered  in  Elkhead,  Morris." 

The  sheriff  looked  sombrely  on  the  little  square 
of  white. 

"I  sort  of  think,"  he  said  at  last,  "that  this 
here's  the  death  warrant  for  Whistlin'  Dan  Barry." 

"So  do  I,"  grinned  Silent,  considerably  thirsty 
for  action.  "  That's  your  chance  to  make  one  of 
your  rarin',  tarin'  speeches.  Then  you  hop  into 
the  telegraph  office  an'  send  a  wire  to  the  Governor 
askin'  that  a  price  be  put  on  the  head  of  the  blood 
thirsty  desperado,  Dan  Barry,  commonly  known 
as  Whistlin'  Dan." 

"It's  like  something  out  of  a  book,"  said  the 
sheriff  slowly.  "It's  like  some  damned  horror 
story." 

"The  minute  you  get  the  reply  to  that  telegram 
swear  in  forty  deputies  and  announce  that  they's  a 
price  on  Barry's  head.  So  long,  Gus.  This  little 
play '11  make  the  boys  figger  you're  the  most 
efficient  sheriff  that  never  pulled  a  gun." 


Whistling  Dan,   Desperado       283 

He  turned  his  horse,  laughing  loudly,  and  the 
sheriff,  with  that  laughter  in  his  ears,  rode  back 
towards  his  hotel  with  a  downward  head. 

All  day  at  the  Daniels' s  house  the  fever  grew  per 
ceptibly,  and  that  night  the  family  held  a  long 
consultation. 

"They's  got  to  be  somethin'  done,"  said  Buck. 
"I'm  goin'  to  ride  into  town  tomorrow  an'  get 
ahold  of  Doc  Geary." 

"There  ain't  no  use  of  gcttin'  that  fraud  Geary," 
said  Mrs.  Daniels  scornfully.  ' '  I  think  that  if  the 
boy  c'n  be  saved  I  c'n  do  it  as  well  as  that  doctor. 
But  there  ain't  no  doctor  c'n  help  him.  The 
trouble  with  Dan  ain't  his  wound — it's  his  mind 
that's  keepin'  him  low." 

"His  mind?"  queried  old  Sam. 

"Listen  to  him  now.  What's  all  that  talkin' 
about  Delilah?" 

"If  it  ain't  Delilah  it's  Kate,"  said  Buck. 
"Always  one  of  the  two  he's  talkin'  about.  An' 
when  he  talks  of  them  his  fever  gets  worse.  Who's 
Delilah,  an'  who's  Kate?" 

"They's  one  an'  the  same  person,"  said 
Mrs.  Daniels.  "It  do  beat  all  how  blind  men 
are!" 

"Are  we  now?"  said  her  husband  with  some 


284  The  Untamed 

heat.  "An'  what  good  would  it  do  even  if  we 
knowed  that  they  was  the  same?" 

"Because  if  we  could  locate  the  girl  they's  a  big 
chance  she'd  bring  him  back  to  reason.  She'd 
make  his  brain  quiet,  an'  then  his  body'll  take  care 
of  itself,  savvy?" 

"But  they's  a  hundred  Kates  in  the  range," 
said  Sam.  "Has  he  said  her  last  name,  Buck,  or 
has  he  given  you  any  way  of  findin'  out  where  she 
lives?" 

"There  ain't  no  way,"  brooded  Buck,  "except 
that  when  he  talks  about  her  sometimes  he  speaks 
of  Lee  Haines  like  he  wanted  to  kill  him.  Some 
times  he's  dreamin'  of  havin'  Lee  by  the  throat. 
D'you  honest  think  that  havin'  the  girl  here  would 
do  any  good,  ma?" 

"Of  course  it  would,"  she  answered.  "He's  in 
love,  that  poor  boy  is,  an'  love  is  worse  than  bullets 
for  some  men.  I  don't  mean  you  or  Sam.  Lord 
knows  you  wouldn't  bother  yourselves  none  about 
a  woman." 

Her  eyes  challenged  them. 

"He  talks  about  Lee  havin'  the  girl?"  asked 
Sam. 

"He  sure  does,"  said  Buck,  "which  shows  that 
he's  jest  ravin'.  How  could  Lee  have  the  girl, 
him  bein'  in  jail  at  Elkhead  ? " 


Whistling  Dan,  Desperado         285 

"But  maybe  Lee  had  her  before  Whistlin'  Dan 
got  him  at  Morris's  place.  Maybe  she's  up  to 
Silent 's  camp  now." 

"A  girl  in  Jim  Silent's  camp?"  repeated  Buck 
scornfully.  "Jim'd  as  soon  have  a  ton  of  lead 
hangin'  on  his  shoulders." 

"Would  he  though?"  broke  in  Mrs.  Daniels. 
"You're  considerable  young,  Buck,  to  be  sayin' 
what  men'll  do  where  they's  women  concerned. 
Where  is  this  camp?" 

"I  dunno,"  said  Buck  evasively.  "Maybe  up 
in  the  hills.  Maybe  at  the  old  Salton  place.  If  I 
thought  she  was  there,  I'd  risk  goin'  up  and  gettin' 
her — with  her  leave  or  without  it!" 

"Don't  be  talkin'  fool  stuff  like  that,"  said  his 
mother  anxiously.  "You  ain't  goin'  near  Jim 
Silent  agin,  Buck!" 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders,  with  a  scowl,  and 
turned  away  to  go  back  to  the  bedside  of  Whistling 
Dan. 

In  the  morning  Buck  was  hardly  less  haggard 
than  Dan.  His  mother,  with  clasped  hands  and 
an  anxious  face,  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  but 
her  trouble  was  more  for  her  son  than  for  Dan. 
Old  Sam  was  out  saddling  Buck's  horse,  for  they 
had  decided  that  the  doctor  must  be  brought  from 
Elkhead  at  once. 


286  The  Untamed 

"I  don't  like  to  leave  him,"  growled  Buck. 
"I  misdoubt  what  may  be  happenin'  while  I'm 
gone." 

"Don't  look  at  me  like  that,"  said  his  mother. 
"Why,  Buck,  a  body  would  think  that  if  he  dies 
while  you're  gone  you'll  accuse  your  father  an' 
mother  of  murder." 

"Don't  be  no  minute  away  from  him,"  urged 
Buck,  "that's  all  I  ask." 

"Cure his  brain,"  said  his  mother  monotonously, 
"an"  his  body '11  take  care  of  itself.  Who's  that 
talkin'  with  your  dad  outside?" 

Very  faintly  they  caught  the  sound  of  voices,  and 
after  a  moment  the  departing  clatter  of  a  galloping 
horse.  Old  Sam  ran  into  the  house  breathless. 

"Who  was  it?  What's  the  matter,  pa?"  asked 
his  wife,  for  the  old  cowpuncher's  face  was  pale 
even  through  his  tan. 

' '  Young  Seaton  was  jest  here.  He  an'  a  hundred 
other  fellers  is  combin'  the  range  an'  warnin'  every 
one  agin  that  Dan  Barry.  The  bullet  in  his 
shoulder — he  got  it  while  he  was  breaking  jail  with 
Lee  Haines.  An'  he  shot  down  the  hosses  of  two 
men  an'  his  dog  pulled  down  a  third  one." 

"Busted  jail  with  Lee  Haines!"  breathed  Buck. 
"It  ain't  no  ways  nacheral.  Which  Dan  hates 
Lee  Haines!" 


Whistling  Dan,  Desperado        287 

"He  was  bought  off  by  Jim  Silent,"  said  old 
Sam.  "They  opened  a  letter  in  Elkhead,  an'  the 
letter  told  everything.  It  was  signed  "J.  S. " 
an'  it  thanked  Dan  for  gettin'  "L.  H.  free." 

"It's  a  lie!"  said  Buck  doggedly. 

"Buck!  Sam!"  cried  Mrs.  Daniels,  seeing  the 
two  men  of  her  family  glaring  at  each  other  with 
something  like  hate  in  their  eyes.  "Sam,  have 
you  forgot  that  this  lad  has  eat  your  food  in  your 
house?" 

Sam  turned  as  crimson  as  he  had  been  pale 
before. 

"I  forgot,"  he  muttered.  "I  was  scared  an' 
forgot!" 

'An'  maybe  you've  forgot  that  I'd  be  swingin' 
on  the  end  of  a  rope  in  Elkhead  if  it  wasn't  for 
Dan  Barry?"  suggested  Buck. 

"Buck,"  said  his  father  huskily,  "I'm  askin' 
your  pardon.  I  got  sort  of  panicky  for  a  minute, 
that's  all.  But  what  are  we  goin'  to  do  with  him  ? 
If  he  don't  get  help  he'll  be  a  dead  man  quick.  An' 
you  can't  go  to  Elkhead  for  the  doctor.  They'd 
doctor  Dan  with  six-guns,  that's  what  they'd  do." 

"What  could  of  made  him  do  it?"  said  Mrs. 
Daniels,  wiping  a  sudden  burst  of  tears  from  her 
eyes. 

"  Oh ,  God,"  said  Buck.    ' '  How'd  I  know  why  he 


288  The  Untamed 

done  it?  How'd  I  know  why  he  turned  me  loose 
when  he  should  of  took  me  to  Elkhead  to  be 
lynched  by  the  mob  there?  The  girl's  the  only 
thing  to  help  him  outside  of  a  doctor.  I'm  goin' 
to  get  the  girl." 

"Where?" 

"I  dunno.     Maybe  I '11  try  the  old  Salton  place." 

"And  take  her  away  from  Jim  Silent?"  broke  in 
his  father.  "You  might  jest  as  well  go  an'  shoot 
yourse'f  before  startin'.  That'll  save  your  hoss 
the  long  ride,  an'  it'll  bring  you  to  jest  the  same 
end." 

' '  Listen ! ' '  said  Buck, ' '  they 's  the  wolf  mournin' !" 

"Buck,  you're  loco!" 

"Hush,  pa!"  whispered  Mrs.  Daniels. 

She  caught  the  hand  of  her  brawny  son. 

"Buck,  I'm  no  end  proud  of  you,  lad.  If  you 
die,  it's  a  good  death!  Tell  me,  Buck  dear,  have 
you  got  a  plan?" 

He  ground  his  big  hand  across  his  forehead, 
scowling. 

"I  dunno,"  he  said,  drawing  a  long  breath.  "I 
jest  know  that  I  got  to  get  the  girl.  Words  don't 
say  what  I  mean.  All  I  know  is  that  I've  got  to  go 
up  there  an'  get  that  girl,  and  bring  her  back  so's 
she  can  save  Dan,  not  from  the  people  that'? 
huntin'  him,  but  from  himself." 


Whistling  Dan,  Desperado        289 

"There  ain't  no  way  of  changin'  you?"  said  his 
father. 

"Pa,"  said  Mrs.  Daniels,  "sometimes  you're  a 
plumb  fool!" 

Buck  was  already  in  the  saddle.  He  waved 
farewell,  but  after  he  set  his  face  towards  the  far 
away  hills  he  never  turned  his  head.  Behind  him 
lay  the  untamed  three.  Before  him,  somewhere 
among  those  naked,  sunburned  hills,  was  the 
woman  whose  love  could  reclaim  the  wild. 

A  dimness  came  before  his  eyes.  He  attempted 
to  curse  at  this  weakness,  but  in  place  of  the  blas 
phemy  something  swelled  in  his  throat,  and  a  still, 
small  music  filled  his  heart.  And  when  at  last  he 
was  able  to  speak  his  lips  framed  a  vow  like  that 
of  the  old  crusaders. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 
"WEREWOLF" 

BUCK'S  cattle  pony  broke  from  the  lope  into 
a  steady  dog-trot.  Now  and  then  Buck's  horse 
tossed  his  head  high  and  jerked  his  ears  quickly 
back  and  forth  as  if  he  were  trying  to  shake  off  a  fly. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  bothered  by  his  master's 
whistling.  The  only  sound  which  he  was  accus 
tomed  to  hear  from  the  lips  of  his  rider  was  a 
grunted  curse  now  and  then.  This  whistling  made 
the  mustang  uneasy. 

Buck  himself  did  not  know  what  the  music 
meant,  but  it  brought  into  his  mind  a  thought  of 
strong  living  and  of  glorious  death.  He  had  heard 
it  whistled  several  times  by  Dan  Barry  when  the 
latter  lay  delirious.  It  seemed  to  Buck,  while  he 
whistled  this  air,  that  the  spirit  of  Dan  travelled 
beside  him,  nerving  him  to  the  work  which  lay 
ahead,  filling  the  messenger  with  his  own  wild 
strength. 

As  Buck  dropped  into  a  level  tract  of  country  he 
290 


"Werewolf"  291 

caught  sight  of  a  rider  coming  from  the  opposite 
direction.  As  they  drew  closer  the  other  man 
swung  his  mount  far  to  one  side.  Buck  chuckled 
softly,  seeing  that  the  other  evidently  desired 
to  pass  without  being  recognized.  The  chuckle 
died  when  the  stranger  changed  direction  and  rode 
straight  for  Buck.  The  latter  pulled  his  horse 
to  a  quick  stop  and  turned  to  face  the  on-comer. 
He  made  sure  that  his  six-gun  was  loose  in  the 
holster,  for  it  was  always  well  to  be  prepared  for 
the  unusual  in  these  chance  meetings  in  the  moun 
tain-desert. 

"Hey,  Buck!"  called  the  galloping  horseman. 

The  hand  of  Daniels  dropped  away  from  his  re 
volver,  for  he  recognized  the  voice  of  Hal  Purvis, 
who  swiftly  ranged  alongside. 

"What's  th3  dope?"  asked  Buck,  producing  his 
tobacco  and  the  inevitable  brown  papers. 

"Jest  lookin'  the  landscape  over  an'  scoutin' 
around  for  news,"  answered  Purvis. 

' '  Pick  up  anything  ? ' ' 

"Yeh.  Ran  across  some  tenderfoot  squatters 
jest  out  of  Elkhead." 

Buck  grunted  and  lighted  his  cigarette. 

"Which  you've  been  sort  of  scarce  around  the 
outfit  lately,"  went  on  Purvis. 

"I'm  headin'  for  the  bunch  now,"  said  Buck. 


292  The  Untamed 

"D'you  bring  along  that  gun  of  mine  I  left  at 
your  house?" 

"Didn't  think  of  it." 

"Let's  drop  back  to  your  house  an'  get  it. 
Then  I'll  ride  up  to  the  camp  with  you." 

Buck  drew  a  long  puff  on  his  cigarette.  He 
drew  a  quick  mental  picture  of  Purvis  entering 
the  house,  finding  Dan,  and  then — 

"Sure,"  he  said,  "you  c'n  go  back  to  the  house 
an'  ask  pa  for  the  gun,  if  you  want  to.  I'll  keep  on 
for  the  hills." 

"What's  your  hurry?  It  ain't  more'n  three 
miles  back  to  your  house.  You  won't  lose  no  time 
to  speak  of." 

"It  ain't  time  I'm  afraid  of  losin',"  said  Buck 
significantly. 

"Then  what  the  devil  is  it?  I  can't  afford  to 
leave  that  gun." 

"All  right, "  said  Buck,  forcing  a  grin  of  derision, 
"so  long,  Hal." 

Purvis  frowned  at  him  with  narrowing  eyes. 

"Spit  it  out,  Buck.  What's  the  matter  with 
me  goin'  back  for  that  gun?  Ain't  I  apt  to  find 
it?" 

"Sure.  That's  the  point.  You're  apt  to  find 
Jots  of  guns.  Here's  what  I  mean,  Hal.  Some 
of  the  cowpunchers  are  beginnin'  to  think  I'm  a 


"  Werewolf"  293 

little  partial  to  Jim  Silent's  crowd.  An'  they're 
watchin'  my  house." 

"The  hell!" 

' '  You're  right.  It  is.  That's  one  of  the  reasons 
I'm  beatin'  it  for  the  hills." 

He  started  his  horse  to  a  walk.  "But  of  course 
if  you're  bound  to  have  that  gun,  Hal — 

Purvis  grinned  mirthlessly,  his  lean  face  wrinkl 
ing  to  the  eyes,  and  he  swung  his  horse  in  beside 
Buck. 

"Anyway,"  said  Buck,  "I'm  glad  to  see  you 
ain't  a  fool.  How's  things  at  the  camp?" 

"Rotten.     They's  a  girl  up  there " 

"A  girl?" 

"You  look  sort  of  pleased.  Sure  they's  a  girl. 
Kate  Cumberland,  she's  the  one.  She  seen  us  hold 
up  the  train,  an'  now  we  don't  dare  let  her  go. 
She's  got  enough  evidence  to  hang  us  all  if  it  came 
to  a  show-down." 

"Kate!     Delilah." 

"What  you  sayin'?" 

"I  say  it's  damn  queer  that  Jim'll  let  a  girl  stay 
at  the  camp." 

"Can't  be  helped.  She's  makin'  us  more  miser 
able  than  a  whole  army  of  men.  We  had  her  in 
the  house  for  a  while,  an'  then  Silent  rigged  up  the 
little  shack  that  stands  a  short  ways " 


294  The  Untamed 

' '  I  know  the  one  you  mean. " 

"She  an'  her  dad  is  in  that.  We  have  to  guard 
'em  at  night.  She  ain't  had  no  good  word  for  any 
of  us  since  she's  been  up  there.  Every  time  she 
looks  at  a  feller  she  makes  you  feel  like  you  was 
somethin'  low-down — a  snake,  or  somethin'." 

"D'you  mean  to  say  none  of  the  boys  please 
her  ? "  asked  Buck  curiously.  He  understood  from 
Dan's  delirious  ravings  that  the  girl  was  in  love 
with  Lee  Haines  and  had  deserted  Barry  for  the 
outlaw.  "Say,  ain't  Haines  goodlookin'  enough 
to  please  her?" 

Purvis  laughed  unpleasantly. 

"He'd  like  to  be,  but  he  don't  quite  fit  her  idea 
of  a  man.  We'd  all  like  to  be,  for  that  matter. 
She's  a  ravin'  beauty,  Buck.  One  of  these  blue- 
eyed,  yaller-haired  kind,  see,  with  a  voice  like  silk. 
Speakin' 'personal,  I'm  free  to  admit  she's  got  me 
stopped." 

Buck  drew  so  hard  on  the  diminishing  butt  of 
his  cigarette  that  he  burned  his  fingers. 

"Can't  do  nothin'  with  her?"  he  queried. 

"What  you  grinnin'  about?"  said  Purvis  hotly. 
"D'you  think  you'd  have  any  better  luck  with 
her?" 

Buck  chuckled. 

"The  trouble  with  you  fellers,"  he  said  com- 


"Werewolf3  295 

placently,  ' '  is  that  you're  all  too  damned  afraid  of 
a  girl.  You  all  treat  'em  like  they  was  queens  an' 
you  was  their  slaves.  They  like  a  master." 

The  thin  lips  of  Purvis  curled. 

"You're  quite  a  man,  ain't  you?" 

"Man  enough  to  handle  any  woman  that  ever 
walked." 

Purvis  broke  into  loud  laughter. 

"That's  what  a  lot  of  us  thought,"  he  said  at 
last,  "but  she  breaks  all  the  rules.  She's  got  her 
heart  set  on  another  man,  an'  she's  that  funny  sort 
that  don't  never  love  twice.  Maybe  you'll  guess 
who  the  man  is  ? " 

Buck  frowned  thoughtfully  to  cover  his  growing 
excitement. 

"Give it  up,  Buck,  "  advised  Purvis.  "The feller 
she  loves  is  Whistlin'  Dan  Barry.  You  wouldn't 
think  no  woman  would  look  without  shiverin'  at 
that  hell-raiser.  But  she's  goin'  on  a  hunger  strike 
on  account  of  him.  Since  yesterday  she  wouldn't 
eat  none.  She  says  she'll  starve  herself  to  death 
unless  we  turn  her  loose.  The  hell  of  it  is  that  she 
will.  I  know  it  an'  so  does  the  rest  of  the  boys." 

"Starve  herself  to  death?"  said  Buck  exuber 
antly.  ' '  Wait  till  I  get  hold  of  her ! ' ' 

"You?" 

"Me!" 


296  The  Untamed 

Purvis  viewed  him  with  compassion. 

"Me  bein'  your  friend,  Buck,"  he  said,  "take 
my  tip  an'  don't  try  no  fool  stunts  around  that 
girl.  Which  she  once  belongs  to  Whistlin'  Dan 
Barry  an'  therefore  she's  got  the  taboo  mark  on  her 
for  any  other  man.  Everything  he's  ever  owned  is 
different,  damned  different!" 

His  voice  lowered  to  a  tone  which  was  almost 
awe. 

"Speakin'  for  myself,  I  don't  hanker  after  his 
hoss  like  Bill  Kilduff;  or  his  girl,  like  Lee  Haines; 
or  his  life,  like  the  chief.  All  I  want  is  a  shot  at 
that  wolf-dog,  that  Black  Bart!" 

"You  look  sort  of  het  up,  Hal." 

"He  come  near  puttin'  his  teeth  into  my  leg 
down  at  Morgan's  place  the  day  Barry  cleaned  up 
the  chief." 

"Why,  any  dog  is  apt  to  take  a  snap  at  a  feller." 

"This  ain't  a  dog.  It's  a  wolf.  An'  Whistlin* 
Dan —  "  he  stopped. 

"You  look  sort  of  queer,  Hal.     What's  up?" 

"You  won't  think  I'm  loco?" 

"No." 

"They's  some  folks  away  up  north  that  thinks 
a  man  now  an'  then  turns  into  a  wolf." 

Buck  nodded  and  shrugged  his  shoulders.  A 
little  chill  went  up  and  down  his  back. 


"Werewolf"  297 

"Here's  my  idea,  Buck.  I've  been  thinkin' — 
no,  it's  more  like  dreamin'  than  thinkin' — that 
Dan  Barry  is  a  wolf  turned  into  a  man,  an'  Black 
Bart  is  a  man  turned  into  a  wolf." 

"Hal,  you  been  drinkin'." 

"Maybe." 

"What  made  you  think — "  began  Buck,  but  the 
long  rider  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  once  more 
broke  into  a  fast  gallop. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
"THE  MANHANDLING" 

IT  was  close  to  sunset  time  when  they  reached 
the  old  Salton  place,  where  they  found  Silent 
sitting  on  the  porch  with  Haines,  Kilduff,  Jordan, 
and  Rhinehart.  They  stood  up  at  sight  of  the 
newcomers  and  shouted  a  welcome.  Buck  waved 
his  hand,  but  his  thoughts  were  not  for  them. 
The  music  he  had  heard  Dan  whistle  formed  in  his 
throat.  It  reached  his  lips  not  in  sound  but  as  a 
smile. 

At  the  house  he  swung  from  the  saddle  and  shook 
hands  with  Jim  Silent.  The  big  outlaw  retained 
Buck's  fingers. 

"You're  comin'  in  mighty  late,"  he  growled, 
"Didn't  you  get  the  signal?" 

Buck  managed  to  meet  the  searching  eyes. 

"I  was  doin'  better  work  for  you  by  stayin' 
around  the  house,"  he  said. 

"How  d'you  mean?" 

"I  stayed  there  to  pick  up  things  you  might 
298 


"The  Manhandling"  299 

want  to  know.  It  wasnY  easy.  The  boys  are 
beginnin'  to  suspect  me." 

"The  cowpunchers  is  gettin'  so  thick  around 
those  parts,  "  broke  in  Purvis,  "that  Buck  wouldn't 
even  let  me  go  back  to  his  house  with  him  to  get 
my  gun." 

The  keen  eyes  of  Silent  never  left  the  face  of 
Daniels. 

"Don't  you  know  that  Gus  Morris  gives  us  all 
the  news  we  need,  Buck?" 

Rhinehart  and  Jordan,  who  were  chatting  to-; 
gether,  stopped  to  listen.  Buck  smiled  easily. 

"I  don't  no  ways  doubt  that  Morris  tells  you 
all  he  knows,"  he  said,  "but  the  pint  is  that  he 
don't  know  everything." 

"How's  that?" 

"The  rangers  is  beginnin'  to  look  sidewise  an' 
whisper  when  Morris  is  around.  He's  played  his 
game  with  us  too  long,  an'  the  boys  are  startin'  to 
think.  Thinkin'  is  always  dangerous." 

"You  seem  to  have  been  doin'  some  tall  thinkin' 
yourself,"  said  Silent  drily;  "you  guess  the  cow- 
punchers  are  goin'  on  our  trail  on  their  own  hook? " 

"There  ain't  no  doubt  of  it." 

"Where'd  you  hear  it?" 

"Young  Seaton." 

"He's  one  of  them?" 


300  The  Untamed 

"Yes." 

"I'll  remember  him.  By  the  way,  I  see  you  got 
a  little  token  of  Whistlin'  Dan  on  your  arm. " 

He  pointed  to  the  bandage  on  Buck's  right 
forearm. 

"It  ain't  nothin',"  said  Buck,  shrugging  his 
shoulders.  "The  cuts  are  all  healin'  up.  The 
arm's  as  good  as  ever  now." 

"Anyway,"  said  Silent,  "you  got  somethin' 
comin'  to  you  for  the  play  you  made  agin  that 
devil." 

He  reached  into  his  pocket,  drew  out  several 
twenty  dollar  gold  pieces  (money  was  never  scarce 
with  a  lone  rider)  and  passed  them  to  Buck.  The 
latter  received  the  coin  gingerly,  hesitated,  and 
then  returned  it  to  the  hand  of  the  chief. 

"What  the  hell's  the  matter?"  snarled  the  big 
outlaw.  "Ain't  it  enough?" 

"I  don't  want  no  money  till  I  earn  it,"  said 
Buck. 

' '  Life's  gettin'  too  peaceful  for  you,  eh  ? "  grinned 
Silent. 

"Speakin'  of  peace,"  chimed  in  Purvis,  with  a 
liberal  wink  at  the  rest  of  the  gang,  "Buck  allows 
he's  the  boy  who  c'n  bring  the  dove  o'  the  same 
into  this  camp.  He  says  he  knows  the  way  to 
bring  the  girl  over  there  to  see  reason." 


"The  Manhandling"  301 

Buck  followed  the  direction  of  Purvis's  eyes  and 
saw  Kate  sitting  on  a  rock  at  a  little  distance  from 
the  shanty  in  which  she  lived  with  her  father. 
She  made  a  pitiful  figure,  her  chin  cupped  in  her 
hand,  and  her  eyes  staring  fixedly  down  the  valley. 
He  was  recalled  from  her  by  the  general  laughter 
of  the  outlaws. 

"You  fellers  laugh,"  he  said  complacently, 
"because  you  don't  know  no  more  about  women 
than  a  cow  knows  about  pictures." 

"What  do  you  think  we  should  do  with  her, 
Solomon  ? ' '  Buck  met  the  cold  blue  eye  of  Haines. 

"Maybe  I  ain't  Solomon,"  he  admitted  genially, 
"but  I  don't  need  no  million  wives  to  learn  all 
there  is  to  know  about  women." 

"Don't  make  a  fool  of  yourself,  Buck,"  said 
Silent.  "There  ain't  no  way  of  movin'  that  damn 
girl.  She's  gone  on  a  hunger  strike  an'  she'll  die  in 
it.  We  can't  send  her  out  of  the  valley.  It's  hell 
to  have  her  dyin'  on  our  hands  here.  But  there 
ain't  no  way  to  make  her  change  her  mind.  I've 
tried  pleadin'  with  her — I've  even  offered  her 
money.  It  don't  do  no  good.  Think  of  that !" 

' '  Sure  it  don '  t , "  sneered  Buck .  ' '  Why ,  you  poor 
bunch  of  yearlin'  calves,  she  don't  need  no  coaxin'. 
What  she  needs  is  a  manhandlin'.  She  wants  a 
master,  that's  what  she  wants." 


302  The  Untamed 

"I  suppose,"  said  Haines,  "you  think  you're 
man  enough  to  change  her?" 

' '  None  of  that ! "  broke  in  Silent.  "  D'you  really 
think  you  could  do  somethin'  with  her,  Buck?" 

"Can  I  do  somethin'  with  her?"  repeated  Buck 
scornfully.  "Why,  boys,  there  ain't  nothin'  I 
can't  do  with  a  woman." 

"Is  it  because  of  your  pretty  face  or  your 
winnin'  smile?"  growled  the  deep  bass  of  Bill 
Kilduff. 

"Both!"  said  Buck,  promptly.  "The  wilder 
they  are  the  harder  they  fall  for  me.  I've  had  a 
thirty -year  old  maverick  eatin'  out  of  my  hand  like 
she'd  been  trained  for  it  all  her  life.  The  edyou- 
cated  ones  say  I'm  'different' ;  the  old  maids  allow 
that  I'm  'naive';  the  pretty  ones  jest  say  I'm  a 
'man,'  but  they  spell  the  word  with  capital  letters." 

"Daniels,  you're  drunk,"  said  Haines. 

"Am  I?  It'll  take  a  better  man  than  you  to 
make  me  sober,  Haines!" 

The  intervening  men  jumped  back,  but  the  deep 
voice  of  Silent  rang  out  like  a  pistol  shot :  ' '  Don't 
move  for  your  six-guns,  or  you'll  be  playin'  agin 
me!" 

Haines  transferred  his  glare  to  Silent,  but  his 
hand  dropped  from  his  gun.  Daniels  laughed. 

"I  ain't  no  mile  post  with  a  hand  pointin'  to 


"The  Manhandling  "  303 

trouble, "  he  said  gently.  "All  I  say  is  that  the  girl 
needs  excitement.  Life's  so  damned  dull  for  her 
that  she  ain't  got  no  interest  in  livin'." 

"If  you're  fool  enough  to  try,"  said  Silent,  "go 
ahead.  What  are  you  plannin'  to  do?" 

"You'll  learn  by  watchin',"  grinned  Buck,  tak 
ing  the  reins  of  his  horse.  "I'm  goin'  to  ask  the 
lady  soft  an'  polite  to  step  up  to  her  cabin  an'  pile 
into  some  ham  an'  eggs.  If  she  don't  want  to, 
I'll  rough  her  up  a  little,  an'  she'll  love  me  for  it 
afterwards ! ' ' 

"The  way  she  loves  a  snake!"  growled  Kilduff. 

"By  God,  Silent,"  said  Haines,  his  face  white 
with  emotion,  "if  Buck  puts  a  hand  on  her 
I'll " 

"Act  like  a  man  an'  not  like  a  damn  fool  boy," 
said  Silent,  dropping  a  heavy  hand  on  the  shoulder 
of  his  lieutenant.  "He  won't  hurt  her  none,  Lee. 
I'll  answer  for  that.  Come  on,  Buck.  Speakin' 
personal,  I  wish  that  calico  was  in  hell." 

Leading  his  horse,  Buck  followed  Silent  towards 
the  girl.  She  did  not  move  when  they  approached. 
Her  eyes  still  held  far  down  the  valley.  The  steps 
of  the  big  outlaw  were  shorter  and  shorter  as  they 
drew  close  to  the  girl.  Finally  he  stopped  and 
turned  to  Buck  with  a  gesture  of  resignation. 

"Look  at  her!     This  is  what  she's  been  doin* 


304  The  Untamed 

ever  since  yesterday.  Buck,  it's  up  to  you  to 
make  good.  There  she  is!" 

"All  right, "  said  Buck,  "it's  about  time  for  you 
amachoors  to  exit  an'  leave  the  stage  clear  for  the 
big  star.  Now  jest  step  back  an'  take  notes  on  the 
way  I  do  it.  In  fifteen  minutes  by  the  clock  she'll 
be  eatin'  out  of  my  hand." 

Silent,  expectant  but  baffled,  retired  a  little. 
Buck  removed  his  hat  and  bowed  as  if  he  were  in 
a  drawing-room. 

"Ma'am,"  he  said,  "I  got  the  honour  of  askin' 
you  to  side-step  up  to  the  shanty  with  me  an' 
tackle  a  plate  of  ham  an'  eggs.  Are  you  on?" 

To  this  Chesterfieldian  outpouring  of  the  heart, 
she  responded  with  a  slow  glance  which  started 
at  Buck's  feet,  travelled  up  to  his  face,  and  then 
returned  to  the  purple  distance  down  the  canyon. 
In  spite  of  himself  the  tell-tale  crimson  flooded 
Buck's  face.  Far  away  he  caught  the  muffled 
laughter  of  the  outlaws.  H3  replaced  his 
hat. 

"Don't  make  no  mistake, "  he  went  on,  his  ges 
ture  including  the  bandits  in  the  background,  and 
Silent  particularly,  "I  ain't  the  same  sort  as  these 
other  fellers.  I  c'n  understand  the  way  you  feel 
after  bein'  herded  around  with  a  lot  of  tin  horns 
like  these.  I'm  suggestin'  that  you  take  a  long 


' '  The  Manhandling  ' '  305 

look  at  me  an'  notice  the  difference  between  an 
imitation  an'  a  real  man." 

She  did  look  at  him.  She  even  smiled  faintly, 
and  the  smile  made  Buck's  face  once  more  grow 
very  hot.  His  voice  went  hard. 

"  For  the  last  time,  I'm  askin'  if  you'll  go  up  to 
the  cabin." 

There  was  both  wonder  and  contempt  in  her 
smile. 

In  an  instant  he  was  in  the  saddle.  He  swung 
far  to  one  side  and  caught  her  in  his  arms. 
Vaguely  he  heard  the  yell  of  excitement  from  the 
outlaws.  All  he  was  vividly  conscious  of  was  the 
white  horror  of  her  face.  She  fought  like  a  wild 
cat.  She  did  not  cry  out.  She  struck  him  full  in 
the  face  with  the  strength  of  a  man,  almost.  He 
prisoned  her  with  a  stronger  grip,  and  in  so  doing 
nearly  toppled  from  the  saddle,  for  his  horse  reared 
up,  snorting. 

A  gun  cracked  twice  and  two  bullets  hummed 
close  to  his  head.  From  the  corner  of  his  eye  he 
was  aware  of  Silent  and  Rhinehart  flinging  them 
selves  upon  Lee  Haines,  who  struggled  furiously  to 
fire  again.  He  drove  his  spurs  deep  and  the 
cattle  pony  started  a  bucking  course  for  the  shanty. 

"Dan!"  he  muttered  at  her  ear. 

The  yells  of  the  men  drowned  his  voice.    She 


3o6  The  Untamed 

managed  to  jerk  her  right  arm  free  and  struck  him 
in  the  face.  He  shook  her  furiously. 

"For  Whistling  Dan!"  he  said  more  loudly. 
"He's  dying!" 

She  went  rigid  in  his  arms. 

"Don't  speak'. "  he  panted.  "Don't  let  them 
know!" 

The  outlaws  were  running  after  them,  laughing 
and  waving  their  hats. 

"Dan!" 

"  Faint,  you  fool!" 

Her  eyes  widened  with  instant  comprehension. 
Every  muscle  of  her  body  relaxed;  her  head  fell 
back;  she  was  a  lifeless  burden  in  his  arms.  Buck 
dismounted  from  the  saddle  before  the  shanty. 
He  was  whit  ,  shaking,  but  triumphant.  Rhine- 
hart  an  '  F  rvi  and  Jordan  ran  up  to  him.  Silent 
and  Kilduff  were  still  struggling  with  Haines  in 
the  distance. 

Rhinehart  dropped  his  head  to  listen  at  her 
breast  for  the  heartbeat. 

"She's  dead!"  cried  Jordan. 

"You're  a  fool,"  said  Buck  calmly.  "She's 
jest  fainted,  an'  when  she  comes  to,  she'll 
begin  tellin'  me  what  a  wonderful  man  I 
am." 

"She  ain't  dead,"  said  Rhinehart,  raising  his 


"The  Manhandling"  307 

head  from  her  heart,  "but  Haines'll  kill  you  for 
this,  Buck!" 

"Kate!"  cried  an  agonized  voice  from  the 
shanty,  and  old  white-haired  Joe  Cumberland  ran 
towards  them. 

"Jest  a  little  accident  happened  to  your  daugh 
ter,  "  explained  Buck.  "Never  mind.  I  c'n  carry 
her  in  all  right.  You  fellers  stay  back.  A  crowd 
ain't  no  help.  Ain't  no  cause  to  worry,  Mr. 
Cumberland.  She  ain't  hurt !" 

He  hastened  on  into  the  shanty  and  laid  her  on 
the  bunk  within.  Her  father  hurried  about  to 
bathe  her  face  and  throat.  Buck  pushed  the  other 
three  men  out  of  the  room. 

"She  ain't  hurt,"  he  said  calmly,  "she's  jest  a 
little  fussed  up.  Remember  I  said  in  fifteen  min 
utes  I'd  have  her  eatin'  out  of  my  hand.  I've  still 
got  ten  minutes  of  that  time.  When  the  ten  min 
utes  is  up  you  all  come  an'  take  a  look  through 
that  window.  If  you  don't  see  the  girl  eatin'  at 
that  table,  I'll  chaw  up  my  hat." 

He  crowded  them  through  the  door  and  shut  it 
behind  them.  A  cry  of  joy  came  from  old  Joe 
Cumberland  and  Buck  turned  to  see  Kate  sitting 
up  on  the  bunk. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

"LAUGH,    DAMN   IT  !" 

SHE  brushed  her  father's  anxious  arms  aside 
and  ran  to  Buck. 

"Shut  up!"  said  Buck.  "Talk  soft.  Better 
still,  don't  say  nothin'!" 

"Kate,"  stammered  her  father,  "what  has 
happened?" 

"Listen  an'  you'll  learn,"  said  Buck.  "But 
get  busy  first.  I  got  to  get  you  out  of  here  to 
night.  You'll  need  strength  for  the  work  ahead 
of  you.  You  got  to  eat.  Get  me  some  eggs. 
Eggs  and  ham.  Got  'em?  Good.  You,  there?" 
(This  to  Joe.)  "Rake  down  them  ashes.  On  the 
jump,  Kate.  Some  wood  here.  I  got  only  ten 
minutes!" 

In  three  minutes  the  fire  was  going,  and  the  eggs 
in  the  pan,  while  Joe  set  out  some  tin  dishes  on  the 
rickety  table,  under  orders  from  Buck,  making  as 
much  noise  as  possible.  While  they  worked  Buck 
talked.  By  the  time  Kate's  plate  was  ready  his 

308 


"  Laugh,  Damn  It!"  309 

tale  was  done.  He  expected  hysterics.  She  was 
merely  white  and  steady-eyed. 

' '  You're  ready  ? "  he  concluded. 

"Yes." 

"Then  begin  by  doin'  what  I  say  an'  ask  no 
questions.  Silent  an'  his  crew'll  be  lookin'  through 
the  window  over  there  pretty  soon.  You  got 
to  be  eatin'  an'  appearin'  to  enjoy  talkin'  to  me. 
Get  that  an'  don't  forget  it.  Mix  in  plenty  of 
smiles.  Cumberland,  you  get  back  into  the 
shadow  an'  stay  there.  Don't  never  come  out  into 
the  light.  Your  face  tells  more'n  a  whole  book, 
an'  believe  me,  Jim  Silent  is  a  quick  reader." 

Joe  retreated  to  a  corner  of  the  room  into  which 
the  light  of  the  lamp  did  not  penetrate. 

"Sit  down  at  that  table!"  ordered  Buck,  and  he 
placed  a  generous  portion  of  fried  eggs  and  ham 
before  her. 

"I  can't  eat.     Is  Dan " 

"I  hear  'em  at  the  window!" 

He  slipped  onto  a  box  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
table  and  leaned  towards  her,  supporting  his  chin 
in  his  hands.  Kate  began  to  eat  hurriedly. 

"No!  no!"  advised  Buck.  "You  eat  as  if  you 
was  scared.  You  want  to  be  slow  an'  deliberate. 
Watch  out !  They've  moved  the  board  that  covers 
the  window!" 


3io  The  Untamed 

For  he  saw  a  group  of  astonished  faces  outside. 

"Smile  at  me!" 

Her  response  made  even  Buck  forget  her  pallor. 
Outside  the  house  there  was  a  faint  buzz  of  whis 
pers. 

"Keep  it  up!" 

"I'll  do  my  best,"  she  said  faintly. 

Buck  leaned  back  and  burst  into  uproarious 
laughter. 

"That's  a  good  one!"  he  cried,  slamming  the 
broad  palm  of  his  hand  against  the  table  so  that 
the  tin  dishes  jumped.  "I  never  heard  the  beat 
of  it!"  And  in  a  whispered  tone  aside:  "Laugh, 
damn  it!" 

Her  laughter  rang  true  enough,  but  it  quavered 
perilously  close  to  a  sob  towards  the  close. 

"I  always  granted  Jim  Silent  a  lot  of  sense,"  he 
said,  "an'  has  he  really  left  you  alone  all  this  time? 
Damn  near  died  of  homesickness,  didn't  you?" 

She  laughed  again,  more  confidently  this  time. 
The  board  was  suddenly  replaced  at  the  window. 

"Now  I  got  to  go  out  to  them,"  he  said. 
"After  what  Silent  has  seen  he'll  trust  me  with 
you.  He'll  let  me  come  back." 

She  dropped  her  soft  hands  over  his  clenched  fist. 

"It  will  be  soon?  Minutes  are  greater  than 
hours." 


"Laugh,  Damn  Itl"  311 

"I  ain't  forgot.     Tonight's  the  time." 

Before  he  reached  the  door  she  ran  to  him. 
Two  arms  went  round  his  neck,  two  warm  lips 
fluttered  against  his. 

"God  bless  you!"  she  whispered. 

Buck  ran  for  the  door.  Outside  he  stood  bare 
headed,  breathing  deeply.  His  face  was  hot  with 
shame  and  delight,  and  he  had  to  walk  up  and 
down  for  a  moment  before  he  could  trust  himself 
to  enter  the  ranch  house.  When  he  finally  did  so 
he  received  a  greeting  which  made  him  think  him 
self  a  curiosity  rather  than  a  man.  Even  Jim 
Silent  regarded  him  with  awe. 

"Buck,"  said  Jordan,  "you  don't  never  need 
to  work  no  more.  All  you  got  to  do  is  to  walk  into 
a  town,  pick  out  the  swellest  heiress,  an'  marry 
her." 

"The  trouble  with  girls  in  town,"  said  Buck, 
"is  that  there  ain't  no  room  for  a  man  to  operate. 
You  jest  nacherally  can't  ride  a  hoss  into  a  parlour." 

Lee  Haines  drew  Buck  a  little  to  one  side. 

"What  message  did  you  bring  to  her,  Buck?" 
he  said. 

"What  d'you  mean?" 

"Look  here,  friend,  these  other  boys  are  too 
thick-headed  to  understand  Kate  Cumberland,  but 
I  know  her  kind." 


312  The  Untamed 

"You're  a  little  peeved,  ain't  you  Lee?"  grimed 
Buck.  "It  ain't  my  fault  that  she  don't  like 
you." 

Haines  ground  his  teeth. 

"It  was  a  very  clever  little  act  that  you  did  with 
her,  but  it  couldn't  quite  deceive  me.  She  was  too 
pale  when  she  laughed." 

"A  jealous  feller  sees  two  things  for  every  one 
that  really  happens,  Lee." 

"Who  was  the  message  from?" 

"Did  she  ever  smile  at  you  like  she  done  at 
me?" 

"Was  it  from  Dan  Barry  that  you  brought 
word?" 

"Did  she  ever  let  her  eyes  go  big  an'  soft  when 
she  looked  at  you?" 

"Damn  you." 

1 '  Did  she  ever  lean  close  to  you,  so's  you  got  the 
scent  of  her  hair,  Lee?" 

'Til  kill  you  for  this,  Daniels!" 

"When  I  left  she  kissed  me  good-bye,  Lee." 

In  spite  of  his  bravado,  Buck  was  deeply  anx 
ious.  He  watched  Haines  narrowly.  Only  two 
men  in  the  mountain -desert  would  have  had  a 
chance  against  this  man  in  a  fight,  and  Buck 
knew  perfectly  well  that  he  was  not  one  of  the 
two. 


"Laugh,  Damn  It!" 

"Watch  yourself,  Daniels,"  said  Haines.  "I 
know  you're  lying  and  I'm  going  to  keep  an  eye  on 
you." 

"Thanks,"  grinned  Buck.  "I  like  to  have  a 
friend  watchin'  out  for  me." 

Haines  turned  on  his  heel  and  went  back  to  the 
card  table,  where  Buck  immediately  joined  the 
circle. 

"Wait  a  minute,  Lee,"  said  Silent.  "Ain't  it 
your  turn  to  stand  guard  on  the  Cumberlands 
tonight?" 

"Right — O,"  answered  Haines  cheerfully,  and 
rose  from  the  table. 

"Hold  on,"  said  Buck.  "Are  you  goin'  to  spoil 
all  the  work  I  done  today  with  that  girl?" 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Silent. 

' '  Everything '  s  the  matter !  Are  you  goin '  to  put 
a  man  she  hates  out  there  watchin'  her." 

"Damn  you,  Daniels,"  said  Haines  fiercely, 
"you're  rolling  up  a  long  account,  but  it  only  takes 
a  bullet  to  collect  that  sort  of  a  bill!" 

"If  it  hadn't  been  for  Haines,  would  the  girl's 
father  be  here?"  asked  Buck.  "Besides,  she  don't 
like  blonds." 

"What  type  does  she  like?"  asked  Silent,  enjoy 
ing  the  quarrel  between  his  lieutenant  and  the 
recruit. 


314  The  Untamed 

"Likes  'em  with  dark  hair  an'  eyes,"  said  Buck 
calmly.  ' '  Look  at  me,  for  instance ! ' ' 

Even  Haines  smiled,  though  his  lips  were  white 
with  anger. 

' '  D'you  want  to  stand  guard  over  her  yourself  ? " 
said  the  chief. 

"Sure,"  grinned  Buck,  "maybe  she'd  come  out 
an'  pass  the  time  o'  night  with  me." 

"Go  ahead  and  take  the  job."  nodded  Silent. 
"I  got  an  idea  maybe  she  will." 

"Silent, "  warned  Haines,  "hasn't  it  occurred  to 
you  that  there's  something  damned  queer  about  the 
ease  with  which  Buck  slid  intothefavourof  thegirl  ? " 

"Well?" 

"All  his  talk  about  manhandling  her  is  bunk. 
He  had  some  message  for  her.  I  saw  him  speak 
to  her  when  she  was  struggling  in  his  arms.  Then 
she  conveniently  fainted." 

Silent  turned  on  Buck. 

"Is  that  straight?" 

"It  is,"  said  Daniels  easily. 

The  outlaws  started  and  their  expectant  grins 
died  out. 

"By  God,  Buck!"  roared  Silent,  "if  you're 
double  crossin'  me — but  I  ain't  goin'  to  be  hasty 
now.  What  happened?  Tell  it  yourself!  What 
did  you  say  to  her  ? " 


"Laugh,  Damn  It  I" 

"While  she  was  fightin'  with  me,"  said  Buck, 
' '  she  hollered :  '  Let  me  go ! '  I  says :  '  I  '11  see  you  in 
hell  first!'  Then  she  fainted." 

The  roar  of  laughter  drowned  Haines's  further 
protest. 

"You  win,  Buck,"  said  Silent.  "Take  the 
job." 

As  Buck  started  for  the  door  Haines  called  to 
him: 

"Hold  on,  Buck,  if  you're  aboveboard  you  won't 
mind  giving  your  word  to  see  that  no  one  comes 
up  the  valley  and  that  you'll  be  here  in  the  morn- 
ing?" 

The  words  set  a  swirling  blackness  before  Buck's 
eyes.  He  turned  slowly. 

"That's  reasonable,"  said  Silent.  "Speak  up, 
Daniels." 

"All  right,"  said  Buck,  his  voice  very  low.  "I'll 
be  here  in  the  morning,  and  I'll  see  that  no  one 
comes  up  the  valley." 

There  was  the  slightest  possible  emphasis  on 
the  word  "up." 

On  a  rock  directly  in  front  of  the  shanty  Buck 
took  up  his  watch.  The  little  house  behind  him 
was  black.  Presently  he  heard  the  soft  call  of 
Kate:  "Is  it  time?" 

His  eyes  wandered  to  the  ranch  house.     He 


316  The  Untamed 

could  catch  the  drone  of  many  voices.  He  made 
no  reply. 

"Is  it  time?"  she  repeated. 

Still  he  would  not  venture  a  reply,  however 
guarded.  She  called  a  third  time,  and  when  he 
made  no  response  he  heard  her  voice  break  to  a 
moan  of  hopelessness.  And  yet  he  waited,  waited, 
until  the  light  in  the  ranch  house  went  out,  and 
there  was  not  a  sound. 

"Kate!"  he  said,  gauging  his  voice  carefully  so 
that  it  could  not  possibly  travel  to  the  ranch  house, 
which  all  the  while  he  carefully  scanned. 

For  answer  the  front  door  of  the  shanty 
squeaked. 

"Back!"  he  called.     "Go  back!" 

The  door  squeaked  again. 

"They're  asleep  in  the  ranch  house,"  she  said. 
"Aren't  we  safe?" 

"S—sh!"  he  warned.  "Talk  low!  They  aren't 
all  asleep.  There's  one  in  the  ranch  house  who'll 
never  take  his  eyes  off  me  till  morning." 

"What  can  we  do?" 

"Go  out  the  back  way.  You  won't  be  seen  if 
you're  careful.  Haines  has  his  eyes  on  me,  not 
you.  Go  for  the  stable.  Saddle  your  horses. 
Then  lead  them  out  and  take  the  path  on  the  other 
side  of  the  house.  Don't  mount  them  vintil  you're 


"Laugh,  Damn  It!"  3J7 

far  below  the  house.  Go  slow  all  the  way. 
Sounds  travel  far  up  this  canyon." 

"Aren't  you  coming  with  us?" 

"No." 

"But  when  they  find  us  gone?" 

"Think  of  Dan— not  me!" 

"God  be  merciful  to  you!" 

In  a  moment  the  back  door  of  the  shanty  creaked. 
They  must  be  opening  it  by  inches.  When  it  was 
wide  they  would  run  for  the  stable.  He  wished 
now  that  he  had  warned  Kate  to  walk,  for  a  slow 
moving  object  catches  the  eye  more  seldom  than 
one  which  travels  fast.  If  Lee  Haines  was  watch 
ing  at  that  moment  his  attention  must  be  held  to 
Buck  for  one  all  important  minute.  He  stood  up, 
rolled  a  cigarette  swiftly,  and  lighted  it.  The 
spurt  and  flare  of  the  match  would  hold  even  the 
most  suspicious  eye  for  a  short  time,  and  in  those 
few  seconds  Kate  and  her  father  might  pass  out 
of  view  behind  the  stable. 

He  sat  down  again.  A  muffled  sneeze  came 
from  the  ranch  house  and  Buck  felt  his  blood  run 
cold.  The  forgotten  cigarette  between  his  fingers 
burned  to  a  dull  red  and  then  went  out.  In  the 
stable  a  horse  stamped.  He  leaned  back,  locked 
his  hands  idly  behind  his  head,  and  commenced 
to  whistle.  Now  there  was  a  snort,  as  of  a  horse 


318  The  Untamed 

when  it  leaves  the  shelter  of  a  barn  and  takes  the 
first  breath  of  open  air. 

All  these  sounds  were  faint,  but  to  Buck,  strain 
ing  his  ears  in  an  agony  of  suspense,  each  one 
came  like  the  blast  of  a  trumpet.  Next  there  was 
a  click  like  that  of  iron  striking  against  rock. 
Evidently  they  were  leading  the  horses  around  on 
the  far  side  of  the  house.  With  a  trembling  hand 
he  relighted  his  cigarette  and  waited,  waited, 
waited.  Then  he  saw  them  pass  below  the  house! 
They  were  dimly  stalking  figures  in  the  night,  but  to 
Buck  it  seemed  as  though  they  walked  in  the  blaze 
of  ten  thousand  searchlights.  He  held  his  breath 
in  expectancy  of  that  mocking  laugh  from  the 
house — that  sharp  command  to  halt — that  crack 
of  the  revolver. 

Yet  nothing  happened.  Now  he  caught  the 
click  of  the  horses'  iron  shoes  against  the  rocks 
farther  and  farther  down  the  valley.  Still  no 
sound  from  the  ranch  house.  They  were  safe ! 

It  was  then  that  the  great  temptation  seized  on 
Buck. 

It  would  be  simple  enough  for  him  to  break  away. 
He  could  walk  to  the  stable,  saddle  his  horse,  and 
tear  past  the  ranch  house  as  fast  as  his  pony  could 
gallop.  By  the  time  the  outlaws  were  ready  for 
the  pursuit,  he  would  be  a  mile  or  more  away,  and 


"Laugh,  Damn  It!"  319 

in  the  hills  such  a  handicap  was  enough.  One 
thing  held  him.  It  was  frail  and  subtle  like  the 
invisible  net  of  the  enchanter — that  word  he  had 
passed  to  Jim  Silent,  to  see  that  nothing  came  up 
the  valley  and  to  appear  in  the  ranch  house  at 
sunrise. 

In  the  midst  of  his  struggle,  strangely  enough,  he 
began  to  whistle  the  music  he  had  learned  from 
Dan  Barry,  the  song  of  The  Untamed,  those  who 
hunt  for  ever,  and  are  for  ever  hunted.  When  his 
whistling  died  away  he  touched  his  hand  to  his 
lips  where  Kate  had  kissed  him,  and  then  smiled. 
The  sun  pushed  up  over  the  eastern  hills. 

When  he  entered  the  ranch  house  the  big  room 
was  a  scene  of  much  arm  stretching  and  yawning 
as  the  outlaws  dressed.  Lee  Haines  was  already 
dressed.  Buck  smiled  ironically. 

"I  say,  Lee,  "  he  said,  "you  look  sort  of  used  up 
this  mornin',  eh?" 

The  long  rider  scowled. 

"I'd  make  a  guess  you've  not  had  much  sleep, 
Haines,"  went  on  Buck.  "Your  eyes  is  sort  of 
hollow." 

"Not  as  hollow  as  your  damned  lying  heart!" 

"Drop  that!"  commanded  Silent.  "You  hold  a 
grudge  like  a  woman,  Lee!  How  was  the  watch, 
Buck?  Are  you  all  in?" 


320  The  Untamed 

"Nothin'  come  up  the  valley,  an'  here  I  am  at 
sunrise,"  said  Buck.  "I  reckon  that  speaks  for 
itself." 

"It  sure  does,"  said  Silent,  "but  the  gal  and 
her  father  are  kind  of  slow  this  mornin'.  The  old 
man  generally  has  a  fire  goin'  before  dawn  is  fairly 
come.  There  ain't  no  sign  of  smoke  now." 

"Maybe  he's  sleepin'  late  after  the  excitement 
of  yesterday,"  said  Bill  Kilduff.  "You  must  of 
thrown  some  sensation  into  the  family,  Buck." 

The  eyes  of  Haines  had  not  moved  from  the 
face  of  Buck. 

"I  think  I'll  go  over  and  see  what's  keeping  them 
so  late  in  bed,"  he  said,  and  left  the  house. 

"He  takes  it  pretty  hard,"  said  Jordan,  his 
scarred  face  twisted  with  Satanic  mirth,  "but 
don't  go  rubbin'  it  into  him,  Buck,  or  you'll  be 
havin'  a  man-sized  fight  on  your  hands.  I'd 
jest  about  as  soon  mix  with  the  chief  as  cross 
Haines.  When  he  starts  the  undertaker  does  the 
finishin'!" 

"Thanks  for  remindin'  me,"  said  Buck  drily. 
Through  the  window  he  saw  Haines  throw  open  the 
door  of  the  shanty. 

The  outcry  which  Buck  expected  did  not  follow. 
For  a  long  moment  the  long  rider  stood  there  with 
out  moving.  Then  he  turned  and  walked  slowly 


"Laugh,  Damn  It!"  321 

back  to  the  house,  his  head  bent,  his  forehead 
gathered  in  a  puzzled  frown. 

"What's  the  matter,  Lee?"  called  Silent  as  his 
lieutenant  entered  the  room  again.  "You  look 
sort  of  sick.  Didn't  she  have  a  bright  mornin' 
smile  for  you?" 

Haines  raised  his  head  slowly.  The  frown  was 
not  yet  gone. 

"They  aren't  there,"  he  announced. 

His  eyes  shifted  to  Buck.  Everyone  followed 
his  example,  Silent  cursing  softly. 

"As  a  joker,  Lee,"  said  Buck  coldly,  "you're 
some  Little  Eva.  I  s'pose  they  jest  nacherally 
evaporated  durin'  the  night,  maybe?" 

"Haines,"  said  Silent  sharply,  "are  you  se 
rious?" 

The  latter  nodded. 

"Then  by  God,  Buck,  you'll  have  to  say  a  lot 
in  a  few  words.  Lee,  you  suspected  him  all  the 
time,  but  I  was  a  fool!" 

Daniels  felt  the  colour  leaving  his  face,  but  help 
came  from  the  quarter  from  which  he  least  expected 
it. 

"Jim,  don't  draw!"  cried  Haines. 

The  eyes  of  the  chief  glittered  like  the  hawk's 
who  sees  the  field-mouse  scurrying  over  the  ground 
far  below. 


322  The  Untamed 

"He  ain't  your  meat,  Lee,"  he  said.  "It's  me 
he's  double  crossed." 

"Chief,"  said  Haines,  "last  night  while  he 
watched  the  shanty,  I  watched  him!" 

"Well?" 

"I  saw  him  keep  his  post  in  front  of  the  cabin 
all  night  without  moving.  And  he  was  wide 
awake  all  the  time." 

"Then  how  in  hell " 

"The  back  door  of  the  cabin!"  said  Kilduff 
suddenly. 

"By  God,  that's  it!  They  sneaked  out  there 
and  then  went  down  on  the  other  side  of  the 
house." 

"If  I  had  let  them  go,"  interposed  Buck,  "do 
you  suppose  I'd  be  here?" 

The  keen  glance  of  Silent  moved  from  Buck  to 
Haines,  and  then  back  again.  He  turned  his  back 
on  them. 

The  qui^t  which  had  fallen  on  the  room  was  now 
broken  by  the  usual  clatter  voices,  cursing,  and 
laughter.  In  the  midst  of  it  Hai,i  ss  stepped  close 
to  Buck  and  spoke  in  a  guarded  voice. 

"Buck,"  he  said,  "I  don't  know  how  you  did  it, 
but  I  have  an  idea — 

"Did  what?" 

The  eyes  of  Haines  were  sad. 


" Laugh,  Damn  It!"  323 

"I  was  a  clean  man,  once,"  he  said  quietly, 
''and  you've  done  a  clean  man's  work!" 

He  put  out  his  hand  and  that  of  Buck's  advanced 
slowly  to  meet  it. 

"Was  it  for  Dan  or  Kate  that  you  did  it? " 

The  glance  of  Buck  roamed  far  away. 

"I  dunno,"  he  said  softly.  "I  think  it  was  to 
save  my  own  rotten  soul ! ' ' 

On  the  other  side  of  the  room  Silent  beckoned  to 
Purvis. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Hal,  coming  close. 

"Speak  low,"  said  Silent.  "I'm  talking  to  you, 
not  to  the  crowd.  I  think  Buck  is  crooked  as  hell. 
I  want  you  to  ride  down  to  the  neighbourhood  of  his 
house.  Scout  around  it  day  and  night.  You  may 
see  something  worth  while." 

Meanwhile,  in  that  utter  blackness  which  pre 
cedes  the  dawn,  Kate  and  her  father  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  canyon. 

"Kate,"  said  old  Joe  in  a  tremulous  voice,  "if 
I  was  a  prayin'  man  I'd  git  down  on  my  knees  an' 
thank  God  for  deliverin'  you  tonight." 

"Thank  Buck  Daniels,  who's  left  his  life  in  pawn 
for  us.  I'll  go  straight  for  Buck's  house.  You 
must  ride  to  Sheriff  Morris  and  tell  him  that  an 
honest  man  is  up  there  in  the  power  of  Silent's 
gang." 


324  The  Untamed 

"But "he  began. 

She  waved  her  hand  to  him,  and  spurring  her 
horse  to  a  furious  gallop  raced  off  into  the  night. 
Her  father  stared  after  her  for  a  few  moments, 
but  then,  as  she  had  advised,  rode  for  Gus  Morris. 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

THOSE   WHO    SEE    IN   THE   DARK 

IT  was  still  early  morning  when  Kate  swung  from 
her  horse  before  the  house  of  Buck  Daniels. 
Instinct  seemed  to  lead  her  to  the  sick-room,  and 
when  she  reached  it  she  paid  not  the  slightest 
attention  to  the  old  man  and  his  wife,  who  sat 
nodding  beside  the  bed.  They  started  up  when 
they  heard  the  challenging  growl  of  Black  Bart, 
which  relapsed  into  an  eager  whine  of  welcome  as 
he  recognized  Kate. 

She  saw  nothing  but  the  drawn  white  face  of 
Dan  and  his  blue  pencilled  eyelids.  She  ran  to 
him.  Old  Sam,  hardly  awake,  reached  out  to 
stop  her.  His  wife  held  him  back. 

"It's  Delilah!"  she  whispered.  "I  seen  her 
face!" 

Kate  was  murmuring  soft,  formless  sounds 
which  made  the  old  man  and  his  wife  look  to  each 
other  with  awe.  They  retreated  towards  the  door 
as  if  they  had  been  found  intruding  where  they 
had  no  right. 

325 


326  The  Untamed 

They  saw  the  fever-bright  eyes  of  Dan  open. 
They  heard  him  murmur  petulantly,  his  glance 
wandering.  Her  hand  passed  across  his  forehead, 
and  then  her  touch  lingered  on  the  bandage  which 
surrounded  his  left  shoulder.  She  cried  out  at 
that,  and  Dan's  glance  checked  in  its  wandering 
and  fixed  upon  the  face  which  leaned  above  him. 
They  saw  his  eyes  brighten,  widen,  and  a  frown 
gradually  contract  his  forehead.  Then  his  hand 
went  up  slowly  and  found  hers. 

He  whispered  something. 

"What  did  he  say?"  murmured  Sam. 

"I  dunno,"  she  answered.  "I  think  it  was 
'  Delilah ! '  See  her  shrink ! ' ' 

"Shut  up!"  cautioned  Sam.  "Ma,  he's  comin' 
to  his  senses ! ' ' 

There  was  no  doubt  of  it  now,  for  a  meaning  had 
come  into  his  eyes. 

"Shall  I  take  her  away?"  queried  Sam  in  a 
hasty  whisper.  ' '  He  may  do  the  girl  harm.  Look 
at  the  yaller  in  his  eyes ! " 

"No,"  said  his  wife  softly,  "it's  time  for  us  to 
leave  'em  alone." 

"But  look  at  him  now!"  he  muttered.  "He's 
makin'  a  sound  back  in  his  throat  like  the  growl  of 
a  wolf!  I'm  afeard  for  the  gal,  ma!" 

"Sam,  you're  an  old  fool!" 


Those  Who  See  in  the  Dark     327 

He  followed  her  reluctantly  from  the  room. 

"Now, "  said  his  wife,  "we  c'n  leave  the  door  a 
little  open — jest  a  crack — an'  you  c'n  look  through 
and  tell  when  she's  in  any  reel  danger." 

Sam  obeyed. 

"Dan  ain't  sayin'  a  word,"  he  said.  "He's  jest 
glarin'  at  her." 

"An'  what's  she  doin'?"  asked  Mrs.  Daniels. 

"She's  got  her  arm  around  his  shoulders.  I 
never  knew  they  could  be  such  a  pile  of  music  in  a 
gal's  voice,  ma!" 

"Sam,  you  was  always  a  fool!" 

"He's  pushin'  her  away  to  the  length  of  his 
arm." 

"An'  she?     An'  she?"  whispered  Mrs.  Daniels. 

"She's  talkin'  quick.  The  big  wolf  is  standin' 
close  to  them  an'  turnin'  his  head  from  one  face  to 
the  other  like  he  was  wonderin'  which  was  right  in 
the  argyment." 

"The  ways  of  lovers  is  as  queer  as  the  ways  of 
the  Lord,  Sam!" 

"Dan  has  caught  an  arm  up  before  his  face,  an' 
he's  sayin'  one  word  over  an'  over.  She's  dropped 
on  her  knees  beside  the  bed.  She's  talkin'.  Why 
does  she  talk  so  low,  ma?" 

"She  don't  dare  speak  loud  for  fear  her  silly 
heart  would  bust.  Oh,  I  know,  I  know!  What 


328  The  Untamed 

fools  all  men  be !  What  fools !  She's  askin'  him 
to  forgive  her." 

"An'  he's  tryin'  all  his  might  not  to,"  whispered 
Mrs.  Daniels  in  an  awe-stricken  voice. 

' '  Black  Bart  has  put  his  head  on  the  lap  of  the 
gal.  You  c'n  hear  him  whine!  Dan  looks  at  the 
wolf  an'  then  at  the  girl.  He  seems  sort  of  dumb- 
foundered.  She's  got  her  one  hand  on  the  head 
of  Bart.  She's  got  the  other  hand  to  her  face,  and 
she's  weepin'  into  that  hand.  Martha,  she's  give 
up  tryin'  to  persuade  him." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence. 

"He's  reachin'  out  his  hand  for  Black  Bart. 
His  fingers  is  on  those  of  the  girl.  They's  both 
starin'." 

"Ay,  ay!"  she  said.     "An'  what  now  ?  " 

But  Sam  closed  the  door  and  set  his  back  to  it, 
facing  his  wife. 

"I  reckon  the  rest  of  it's  jest  like  the  endin'  of  a 
book,  ma,"  he  said. 

"Men  is  all  fools!"  whispered  Mrs.  Daniels,  but 
there  were  tears  in  her  eyes. 

Sam  went  out  to  put  up  Kate's  horse  in  the 
stable.  Mrs.  Daniels  sat  in  the  dining-room,  her 
hands  clasped  in  her  lap  while  she  watched  the 
grey  dawn  come  up  the  east.  When  Sam  entered 
and  spoke  to  her,  she  returned  no  answer.  He 


Those  Who  See  in  the  Dark     329 

shook  his  head  as  if  her  mood  completely  baffled 
him,  and  then,  worn  out  by  the  long  watching,  he 
went  to  bed. 

For  a  long  time  Mrs.  Daniels  sat  without  moving, 
with  the  same  strange  smile  transfiguring  her. 
Then  she  heard  a  soft  step  pause  at  the  entrance 
to  the  room,  and  turning  saw  Kate.  There 
was  something  in  their  faces  which  made  them 
strangely  alike.  A  marvellous  grace  and  dignity 
came  to  Mrs.  Daniels  as  she  rose. 

"My  dear!"  she  said. 

"I'm  so  happy!"  whispered  Kate. 

"Yes,  dear!    And  Dan?" 

"He's  sleeping  like  a  child!  Will  you  look  at 
him?  I  think  the  fever's  gone!" 

They  went  hand  in  hand — like  two  girls,  and 
they  leaned  above  the  bed  where  Whistling  Dan 
lay  smiling  as  he  slept.  On  the  floor  Black  Bart 
growled  faintly,  opened  one  eye  on  them,  and  then 
relapsed  into  slumber.  There  was  no  longer 
anything  to  guard  against  in  that  house. 

It  was  several  days  later  that  Hal  Purvis, 
returning  from  his  scouting  expedition,  met  no 
less  a  person  that  Sheriff  Gus  Morris  at  the 
mouth  of  the  canyon  leading  to  the  old  Salton 
place. 


33°  The  Untamed 

"Lucky  I  met  you,  Hal,"  said  the  genial  sheriff, 
"I've  saved  you  from  a  wild-goose  chase." 

"How's  that?" 

"Silent  has  jest  moved." 

"Where?" 

"He's  taken  the  trail  up  the  canyon  an'  cut 
across  over  the  hills  to  that  old  shanty  on  Bald- 
eagle  Creek.  It  stands 

"I  know  where  it  is,"  said  Purvis.  "Why'd  he 
move?" 

"Things  was  gettin'  too  hot.  I  rode  over  to  tell 
him  that  the  boys  was  talkin'  of  huntin'  up  the 
canyon  to  see  if  they  could  get  any  clue  of  him. 
They  knowed  from  Joe  Cumberland  that  the  gang 
was  once  here." 

"Cumberland  went  to  you  when  he  got  out  of 
the  valley?"  queried  Purvis  with  a  grin. 

"Straight." 

"And  then  where  did  Cumberland  go?" 

"I  s'pose  he  went  home  an'  joined  his  gal." 

"He  didn't,"  said  Purvis  drily. 

"Then  where  is  he?  An'  who  the  hell  cares 
where  he  is?" 

"They're  both  at  Buck  Daniels's  house." 

"Look  here,  Purvis,  ain't  Buck  one  of  your  own 
men?  Why,  I  seen  him  up  at  the  camp  jest  a 
while  ago!" 


Those  Who  See  in  the  Dark     331 

"Maybe  you  did,  but  the  next  time  you  call 
around  he's  apt  to  be  missin'.  " 

"D'you  think " 

"He's  double  crossed  us.  I  not  only  seen  the 
girl  an'  her  father  at  Buck's  house,  but  I  also  seen 
a  big  dog  hangin'  around  the  house.  Gus,  it  was 
Black  Bart,  an'  where  that  wolf  is  you  c'n  lay  to 
it  that  Whistlin'  Dan  ain't  far  away!" 

The  sheriff  stared  at  him  in  dumb  amazement, 
his  mouth  open. 

"They's  a  price  of  ten  thousand  on  the  head  of 
Whistlin'  Dan,"  suggested  Purvis. 

The  sheriff  still  seemed  too  astonished  to  under 
stand. 

"I  s'pose,"  said  Purvis,  "that  you  wouldn't  care 
special  for  an  easy  lump  sum  of  ten  thousand, 
what?" 

' '  In  Buck  Daniels' s  house ! "  burst  out  the  sheriff. 

"Yep,"  nodded  Purvis,  "that's  where  the  money 
is  if  you  c'n  get  enough  men  together  to  gather  in 
Whistlin'  Dan  Barry." 

"D'you  really  think  I'd  get  some  boys  together 
to  round  up  Whistlin'  Dan  ?  Why,  Hal,  you  know 
there  ain't  no  real  reason  for  that  price  on  his 
head!" 

"D'you  always  wait  for  'real  reasons '  before  you 
set  your  fat  hands  on  a  wad  of  money?" 


332  The  Untamed 

The  sheriff  moistened  his  lips. 

"Ten  thousand  dollars!" 

"Ten  thousand  dollars!"  echoed  Purvis. 

"By  God,  I'll  do  it!  If  I  got  him,  the  boys 
would  forget  all  about  Silent.  They're  afraid  of 
Jim,  but  jest  the  thought  of  Barry  paralyzes  them! 
I'll  start  roundin'  up  the  boys  I  need  today. 
Tonight  we'll  do  our  plannin'.  Tomorrer  mornin' 
bright  an'  early  we'll  hit  the  trail." 

"Why  not  go  after  him  tonight?" 

"Because  he'd  have  an  edge  on  us.  I  got  a 
hunch  that  devil  c'n  see  in  the  dark." 

He  grinned  apologetically  for  this  strange  idea, 
but  Purvis  nodded  with  perfect  sympathy,  and 
then  turned  his  horse  up  the  canyon.  The  sheriff 
rode  home  whistling.  On  ten  thousand  dollars 
more  he  would  be  able  to  retire  from  this  strenuous 
life. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE    SONG    OF    THE    UNTAMED 

BUCK  and  his  father  were  learning  of  a  thousand 
crimes  charged  against  Dan.  Wherever  a  man 
riding  a  black  horse  committed  an  outrage  it  was 
laid  to  the  account  of  this  new  and  most  terrible 
of  long  riders.  Two  cowpunchers  were  found 
dead  on  the  plains.  Their  half-emptied  revolvers 
lay  close  to  their  hands,  and  their  horses  were  not 
far  off.  In  ordinary  times  it  would  have  been 
accepted  that  they  had  killed  each  other,  for  they 
were  known  enemies,  but  now  men  had  room  for 
one  thought  only.  And  why  should  not  a  man 
with  the  courage  to  take  an  outlaw  from  the  centre 
of  Elkhead  be  charged  with  every  crime  on  the 
range?  Jim  Silent  had  been  a  grim  plague,  but  at 
least  he  was  human.  This  devil  defied  death. 

These  were  both  sad  and  happy  days  for  Kate. 
The  chief  cause  of  her  sadness,  strangely  enough, 
was  the  rapidly  returning  strength  of  Dan.  While 
he  was  helpless  he  belonged  to  her.  When  he  was 

333 


334  The  Untamed 

strong  he  belonged  to  his  vengeance  on  Jim  Silent; 
and  when  she  heard  Dan  whistling  softly  his  own 
wild,  weird  music,  she  knew  its  meaning  as  she 
would  have  known  the  wail  of  a  hungry  wolf  on  a 
winter  night.  It  was  the  song  of  the  untamed. 
She  never  spoke  of  her  knowledge.  She  took  the 
happiness  of  the  moment  to  her  heart  and  closed 
her  eyes  against  tomorrow. 

Then  came  an  evening  when  she  watched  Dan 
play  with  Black  Bart — a  game  of  tag  in  which  they 
darted  about  the  room  with  a  violence  which 
threatened  to  wreck  the  furniture,  but  running 
with  such  soft  footfalls  that  there  was  no  sound 
except  the  rattle  of  Bart's  claws  against  the  floor 
and  the  rush  of  their  breath.  They  came  to  an 
abrupt  stop  and  Dan  dropped  into  a  chair  while 
Black  Bart  sank  upon  his  haunches  and  snapped 
at  the  hand  which  Dan  flicked  across  his  face 
with  lightning  movements.  The  master  fell  mo 
tionless  and  silent.  His  eyes  forgot  the  wolf. 
Rising,  they  rested  on  Kate's  face.  They  rose 
again  and  looked  past  her. 

She  understood  and  waited. 

' '  Kate,"  he  said  at  last,  ' '  I've  got  to  start  on  the 
trail." 

Her  smile  went  out.  She  looked  where  she 
knew  his  eyes  were  staring,  through  the  window 


The  Son£  of  the  Untamed        335 


and  far  out  across  the  hills  where  the  shadows  deep 
ened  and  dropped  slanting  and  black  across  the 
hollows.  Par  away  a  coyote  wailed.  The  wind 
which  swept  the  hills  seemed  to  her  like  a  refrain 
of  Dan's  whistling — the  song  and  the  summons  of 
the  untamed. 

"That  trail  will  never  bring  you  home,"  she  said. 

There  was  a  long  silence. 

"You  ain't  cryin',  honey?" 

"I'm  not  crying,  Dan." 

"I  got  to  go." 

"Yes." 

"Kate,  you  got  a  dyin'  whisper  in  your  voice." 

"That  will  pass,  dear." 

"Why,  honey,  you  are  cryin'!" 

He  took  her  face  between  his  hands,  and  stared 
into  her  misted  eyes,  but  then  his  glance  wandered 
past  her,  through  the  window,  out  to  the  shadowy 
hills. 

"You  won't  leave  me  now? "  she  pleaded. 

"I  must!" 

"Give  me  one  hour  more!" 

"Look!"  he  said,  and  pointed. 

She  saw  Black  Bart  reared  up  with  his  forepaws 
resting  on  the  window-sill,  while  he  looked  into  the 
thickening  night  with  the  eyes  of  the  hunter  which 
sees  in  the  dark. 


336  The  Untamed 

"The  wolf  knows,  Kate,"  he  said,  "but  I  can't 
explain." 

He  kissed  her  forehead,  but  she  strained  close  to 
him  and  raised  her  lips. 

She  cried,  "My  whole  soul  is  on  them." 

"Not  that!"  he  said  huskily.  "There's  still 
blood  on  my  lips  an'  I'm  goin'  out  to  get  them 
clean." 

He  was  gone  through  the  door  with  the  wolf 
racing  before  him. 

She  stumbled  after  him,  her  arms  outspread, 
blind  with  tears;  and  then,  seeing  that  he  was  gone 
indeed,  she  dropped  into  the  chair,  buried  her  face 
against  the  place  where  his  head  had  rested,  and 
wept.  Far  away  the  coyote  wailed  again,  and 
this  time  nearer. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

THE     COWARD 

BEFORE  the  coyote  cried  again,  three  shadows 
glided  into  the  night.  The  lighted  window  in  the 
house  was  like  a  staring  eye  that  searched  after 
them,  but  Satan,  with  the  wolf  running  before, 
vanished  quickly  among  the  shadows  of  the  hills. 
They  were  glad.  They  were  loosed  in  the  void  of 
the  mountain-desert  with  no  destiny  save  the  will 
of  the  master.  They  seemed  like  one  being  rather 
than  three.  The  wolf  was  the  eyes,  the  horse  the 
strong  body  to  flee  or  pursue,  and  the  man  was  the 
brain  which  directed,  and  the  power  which  struck. 

He  had  formulated  no  plan  of  action  to  free 
Buck  and  kill  Silent.  All  he  knew  was  that  he 
must  reach  the  long  riders  at  once,  and  he 
would  learn  their  whereabouts  from  Morris.  He 
rode  more  slowly  as  he  approached  the  hotel  of 
the  sheriff.  Lights  burned  at  the  dining-room 
windows.  Probably  the  host  still  sat  at  table  with 
his  guests,  but  it  was  strange  that  they  should 
linger  over  their  meal  so  late.  He  had  hoped 
22  337 


338  The  Untamed 

that  he  would  be  able  to  come  upon  Morris  by 
surprise.  Now  he  must  take  him  in  the  midst  of 
many  men.  With  Black  Bart  slinking  at  his  heels 
he  walked  softly  across  the  porch  and  tiptoed 
through  the  front  room. 

The  door  to  the  dining-room  was  wide.  Around 
the  table  sat  a  dozen  men,  with  the  sheriff  at  their 
head.  The  latter,  somewhat  red  of  face,  as  if  from 
the  effort  of  a  long  speech,  was  talking  low  and 
earnestly,  sometimes  brandishing  his  clenched 
fist  with  such  violence  that  it  made  his  flabby 
cheeks  quiver. 

"We'll  get  to  the  house  right  after  dawn,"  he 
was  saying,  "because  that's  the  time  when  most 
men  are  so  thick-headed  with  sleep  that — 

"Not  Whistling  Dan  Barry,"  said  one  of  the 
men,  shaking  his  head.  "He  won't  be  thick 
headed.  Remember,  I  seen  him  work  in  Elkhead, 
when  he  slipped  through  the  hands  of  a  roomful  of 
us." 

A  growl  of  agreement  went  around  the  table, 
and  Black  Bart  in  sympathy,  echoed  the  noise 
softly. 

"What's  that?"  called  the  sheriff,  raising  his 
head  sharply. 

Dan,  with  a  quick  gesture,  made  Black  Bart 
slink  a  pace  back. 


The  Coward  339 

"Nothin',"  replied  one  of  the  men.  "This 
business  is  gettin'  on  your  nerves,  sheriff.  I  don't 
blame  you.  It's  gettin'  on  mine." 

"I'm  trustin'  to  you  boys  to  stand  back  of  me 
all  through,"  said  the  sheriff  with  a  sort  of  whine, 
"but  I'm  thinkin'  that  we  won't  have  no  trouble. 
When  we  see  him  we  won't  stop  for  no  questions 
to  be  asked,  but  turn  loose  with  our  six-guns  an' 
shoot  him  down  like  a  dog.  He's  not  human  an' 
he  don't  deserve — Oh,  God!" 

He  started  up  from  his  chair,  white-faced,  his 
hands  high  above  his  head,  staring  at  the  appari 
tion  of  Whistling  Dan,  who  stood  with  two  revol 
vers  covering  the  posse.  Every  man  was  on  his 
feet  instantly,  with  arms  straining  stiffly  up.  The 
muzzles  of  revolvers  are  like  the  eyes  of  some  por 
traits.  No  matter  from  what  angle  you  look  at 
them,  they  seem  directed  straight  at  you.  And 
every  cowpuncher  in  the  room  was  sure  that  he 
was  the  main  object  of  Dan's  aim. 

"Morris!"  said  Dan. 

"For  God's  sake,  don't  shoot!"  screamed  the 
sheriff.  "I " 

"Git  down  on  your  knees!     Watch  him,  Bart!" 

As  the  sheriff  sank  obediently  to  his  knees,  the 
wolf  slipped  up  to  him  with  a  stealthy  stride  and 
stood  half  crouched,  his  teeth  bared,  silent.  No 


34°  The  Untamed 

growl  could  have  made  Bart  more  terribly  threaten 
ing.  Dan  turned  completely  away  from  Morris  so 
that  he  could  keep  a  more  careful  watch  on  the 
others. 

"Call  off  your  wolf!"  moaned  Morris,  a  sob  of 
terror  in  his  voice. 

"I  ought  to  let  him  set  his  teeth  in  you,"  said 
Dan,  "but  I'm  goin'  to  let  you  off  if  you'll  tell  me 
what  I  want  to  know." 

"Yes!    Anything!" 

"Where's  Jim  Silent?" 

All  eyes  flashed  towards  Morris.  The  latter,  as 
the  significance  of  the  question  came  home  to  him, 
went  even  a  sicklier  white,  like  the  belly  of  a 
dead  fish.  His  eyes  moved  swiftly  about  the  circle 
of  his  posse.  Their  answering  glares  were  sternly 
forbidding. 

"Out  with  it!"  commanded  Dan. 

The  sheriff  strove  mightily  to  speak,  but  only  a 
ghastly  whisper  came:  "You  got  the  wrong  tip, 
Dan.  I  don't  know  nothin'  about  Silent.  I'd 
have  him  in  jail  if  I  did!" 

"Bart!"  said  Dan. 

The  wolf  slunk  closer  to  the  kneeling  man.  His 
hot  breath  fanned  the  face  of  the  sheriff  and  his 
lips  grinned  still  farther  back  from  the  keen,  white 
teeth. 


The  Coward  341 

' '  Help ! ' '  yelled  Morris.  ' '  He's  at  the  shanty  up 
on  Bald-eagle  Creek." 

A  rumble,  half  cursing  and  half  an  inarticulate 
snarl  of  brute  rage,  rose  from  the  cowpunchers. 

"Bart,"  called  Dan  again,  and  leaped  back  from 
the  door,  raced  out  to  Satan,  and  drove  into  the 
night  at  a  dead  gallop. 

Half  the  posse  rushed  after  him.  A  dozen  shots 
were  pumped  after  the  disappearing  shadowy  fig 
ure.  Two  or  three  jumped  into  their  saddles. 
The  others  called  them  back. 

"Don't  be  an  ass,  Monte,"  said  one.  "You 
got  a  good  hoss,  but  you  ain't  fool  enough  to  think 
he  c'n  catch  Satan?" 

They  trooped  back  to  the  dining-room,  and 
gathered  in  a  silent  circle  around  the  sheriff,  whose 
little  fear-bright  eyes  went  from  face  to  face. 

"Ah,  this  is  the  swine,"  said  one,  "that  was 
guardin'  our  lives!" 

"Fellers,"  pleaded  the  sheriff  desperately,  "I 
swear  to  you  that  I  jest  heard  of  where  Silent  was 
today.  I  was  keepin'  it  dark  until  after  we  got 
Whistling  Dan.  Then  I  was  goin'  to  lead 
you " 

The  flat  of  a  heavy  hand  struck  with  a  resound 
ing  thwack  across  his  lips.  He  reeled  back  against 
the  wall,  sputtering  the  blood  from  his  split  mouth. 


342  The  Untamed 

"Pat,"  said  Monte,  "your  hoss  is  done  for. 
Will  you  stay  here  an'  see  that  he  don't  get  away? 
We'll  do  somethin'  with  him  when  we  get  back." 

Pat  caught  the  sheriff  by  his  shirt  collar  and 
jerked  him  to  a  chair.  The  body  of  the  fat  man 
was  trembling  like  shaken  jelly.  The  posse  turned 
away. 

They  could  not  overtake  Whistling  Dan  on  his 
black  stallion,  but  they  might  arrive  before  Silent 
and  his  gang  got  under  way.  Their  numbers  were 
over  small  to  attack  the  formidable  long  riders, 
but  they  wanted  blood.  Before  Whistling  Dan 
reached  the  valley  of  Bald-eagle  Creek  they  were  in 
the  saddle  and  riding  hotly  in  pursuit. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 
CLOSE  IN! 

IN  that  time-ruined  shack  towards  which  the 
posse  and  Dan  Barry  rode,  the  outlaws  sat  about 
on  the  floor  eating  their  supper  when  Hal  Purvis 
entered.  He  had  missed  the  trail  from  the  Salton 
place  to  the  Bald-eagle  half  a  dozen  times  that  day, 
and  that  had  not  improved  his  bitter  mood. 

"You  been  gone  long  enough,"  growled  Silent. 
"Sit  down  an'  chow  an'  tell  us  what  you  know." 

"I  don't  eat  with  no  damned  traitors,"  said 
Purvis  savagely.  "Stan'  up  an'  tell  us  that  you're 
a  double-crossin'  houn',  Buck  Daniels!" 

"You  better  turn  in  an'  sleep,"  said  Buck 
calmly.  ' 'I've  knowed  men  before  that  loses  their 
reason  for  want  of  sleep!" 

"Jim,"  said  Purvis,  turning  sharply  on  the  chief, 
"Barry  is  at  Buck's  house!" 

"You  lie!  "said  Buck. 

"Do  I  lie?"  said  Purvis,  grinding  his  teeth.  "I 
seen  Black  Bart  hangin'  around  your  house." 

Jim  Silent  reached  out  a  heavy  paw  and  dropped 

343 


344  The  Untamed 

it  on  the  shoulder  of  Buck.  Their  eyes  met 
through  a  long  moment,  and  then  the  glance  of 
Buck  wavered  and  fell. 

"Buck,"  said  Silent,  "I  like  you.  I  don't  want 
to  believe  what  Purvis  says.  Give  me  your  word 
of  honour  that  Whistlin'  Dan 

"He's  right,  Jim,"  said  Buck. 

"An'  he  dies  like  a  yallercur!"  broke  in  Purvis, 
snarling. 

"No,"  said  Silent,  "when  one  of  the  boys  goes 
back  on  the  gang,  they  pay  me,  not  the  rest  of  you ! 
Daniels,  take  your  gun  and  git  down  to  the  other 
end  of  the  room  an'  stand  with  your  face  to  the 
wall.  I'll  stay  at  this  end.  Keep  your  arms  folded. 
Haines,  you  stand  over  there  an'  count  up  to 
three.  Then  holler:  Tire!'  an'  we'll  turn  an' 
start  shootin'.  The  rest  of  you  c'n  be  judge  if 
that's  fair." 

"Too  damned  fair,"  said  Kilduff.  "I  say: 
String  him  up  an'  drill  the  skunk  full  of  holes." 

Without  a  word  Buck  turned  on  his  heel. 

"One  moment,"  said  Haines. 

"He  ain't  your  meat,  Lee,"  said  Silent.  "Jest 
keep  your  hand  out  of  this." 

"I  only  wish  to  ask  him  a  question,"  said 
Haines.  He  turned  to  Buck:  "Do  you  mean  to 
say  that  after  Barry's  wolf  cut  up  your  arm,  you've 


Close  In  !  345 

been  giving  Whistling  Dan  a  shelter  from  the  law-— 
and  from  us?" 

"I  give  him  a  place  to  stay  because  he  was 
damned  near  death,"  said  Buck.  "An"  there's 
one  thing  you'll  answer  for  in  hell,  Haines,  an' 
that's  ridin'  off  an'  leavin'  the  man  that  got  you 
out  of  Elkhead.  He  was  bleedin'  to  death." 

"Shot?"  said  Haines,  changing  colour. 

Silent  broke  in :  ' '  Buck,  go  take  your  place  and 
say  your  prayers." 

"Stay  where  you  are!"  commanded  Haines. 
"And  the  girl?" 

"He  was  lyin'  sick  in  bed,  ravin'  about  'Delilah' 
an'  'Kate.'  So  I  come  an'  got  the  girl." 

Haines  dropped  his  head. 

"An'  when  he  was  lyin'  there,"  said  Silent 
fiercely,  "you  could  of  made  an'  end  of  him  with 
out  half  liftin'  your  hand,  an'  you  didn't." 

"Silent,"  said  Haines,  "if  you  want  to  talk, 
speak  to  me." 

"What  in  hell  do  you  mean,  Lee?" 

"You  can't  get  at  Buck  except  through  me." 

"Because  that  devil  Barry  got  a  bullet  for  your 
sake  are  you  goin'  to ' 

"I've  lived  a  rotten  life,"  said  Haines. 

"An'  I  suppose  you  think  this  is  a  pretty  good 
way  of  dyin'?"  sneered  Silent. 


346  The  Untamed 

' '  I  have  more  cause  to  fight  for  Barry  than  Buck 
has,"  said  Haines. 

"Lee,  we've  been  pals  too  long." 

"Silent,  I've  hated  you  like  a  snake  ever  since  I 
met  you.  But  outlaws  can't  choose  their  com 
pany." 

His  tawny  head  rose.  He  stared  haughtily 
around  the  circle  of  lowering  faces. 

"By  God,"  said  Silent,  white  with  passion,  "I'm 
beginnin'  to  think  you  do  hate  me!  Git  down 
there  an'  take  your  place.  You're  first  an'  Daniels 
comes  next.  Kilduff,  you  c'n  count!" 

He  stalked  to  the  end  of  the  room.  Haines 
lingered  one  moment. 

"Buck,"  he  said,  "there's  one  chance  in  ten 
thousand  that  I'll  make  this  draw  the  quickest  of 
the  two.  If  I  don't,  you  may  live  through  it. 
Tell  Kate " 

"Haines,  git  to  your  mark,  or  I'll  start  shootin' ! " 

Haines  turned  and  took  his  place.  The  others 
drew  back  along  the  walls  of  the  room.  Kilduff 
took  the  lamp  from  the  table  and  held  it  high  above 
his  head.  Even  then  the  light  was  dim  and  un 
certain  and  the  draughts  set  the  flame  wavering 
so  that  the  place  was  shaken  with  shadows.  The 
moon  sent  a  feeble  shaft  of  light  through  the 
window. 


Close  In  !  347 

"One!"  said  Kilduff. 

The  shoulders  of  Haines  and  Silent  hunched 
slightly. 

"Two!"  said  Kilduff. 

"God,"  whispered  someone. 

"Three.     Fire!" 

They  whirled,  their  guns  exploding  at  almost 
the  same  instant,  and  Silent  lunged  for  the  floor, 
firing  twice  as  he  fell.  Haines's  second  shot  split 
the  wall  behind  Silent.  If  the  outlaw  chief  had 
remained  standing  the  bullet  would  have  passed 
through  his  head.  But  as  Silent  fired  the  third 
time  the  revolver  dropped  clattering  from  the  hand 
of  Haines.  Buck  caught  him  as  he  toppled  inertly 
forward,  coughing  blood. 

Silent  was  on  his  feet  instantly. 

"Stand  back!"  he  roared  to  his  men,  who 
crowded  about  the  fallen  long  rider.  ' '  Stand  back 
in  your  places.  I  ain't  finished.  I'm  jest  started. 
Buck,  take  your  place!" 

"Boys!"  pleaded  Buck,  "he's  not  dead,  but  he'll 
bleed  to  death  unless 

"Damn  him,  let  him  bleed.  Stand  up,  Buck,  or 
by  God  I'll  shoot  you  while  you  kneel  there!" 

"Shoot  and  be  damned!" 

He  tore  off  his  shirt  and  ripped  away  a  long  strip 
for  a  bandage. 


The  Untamed 


The  revolver  poised  in  Silent's  hand. 

"Buck,  I'm  warnin'  you  for  the  last  time!" 

"Fellers,  it's  murder  an'  damnation  for  all  if 
you  let  Haines  die  this  way!"  cried  Buck. 

The  shining  barrel  of  the  revolver  dropped  to  a 
level. 

"I've  given  you  a  man's  chance,"  said  Silent, 
"an'  now  you'll  have  the  chance  of  -  " 

The  door  at  the  side  of  the  room  jerked  open  and 
a  revolver  cracked.  The  lamp  shivered  to  a  thou 
sand  pieces  in  the  hands  of  Bill  Kilduff.  All  the 
room  was  reduced  to  a  place  of  formless  shadow, 
dimly  lighted  by  the  shaft  of  moonlight.  The 
voice  of  Jim  Silent,  strangely  changed  and  sharp 
ened  from  his  usual  bass  roar,  shrilled  over  the 
sudden  tumult:  "Each  man  for  himself!  It's 
Whistling  Dan!" 

Terry  Jordan  and  Bill  Kilduff  rushed  at  the  dim 
figure,  crouched  to  the  floor.  Their  guns  spat 
fire,  but  they  merely  lighted  the  way  to  their  own 
destruction.  Twice  Dan's  revolver  spoke,  and 
they  dropped,  yelling.  Pandemonium  fell  on  the 
room. 

The  long  riders  raced  here  and  there,  the  revol 
vers  coughing  fire.  For  an  instant  Hal  Purvis  stood 
framed  against  the  pallid  moonshine  at  the  window. 
He  stiffened  and  pointed  an  arm  toward  the  door. 


Close  In!  349 

"The  werewolf,"  he  screamed. 

As  if  in  answer  to  the  call,  Black  Bart  raced 
across  the  room.  Twice  the  revolver  sounded 
from  the  hand  of  Purvis.  Then  a  shadow  leaped 
from  the  floor.  There  was  a  flash  of  white  teeth, 
and  Purvis  lurched  to  one  side  and  dropped, 
screaming  terribly.  The  door  banged.  Suddenly 
there  was  silence.  The  clatter  of  a  galloping 
horse  outside  drew  swiftly  away. 

"Dan!" 

"Here!" 

"Thank  God!" 

"Buck,  one  got  away!  If  it  was  Silent — Here! 
Bring  some  matches." 

Someone  was  dragging  himself  towards  the  door 
in  a  hopeless  effort  to  escape.  Several  others 
groaned. 

"You,  there!"  called  Buck.  "Stay  where  you 
are!" 

The  man  who  struggled  towards  the  door 
flattened  himself  against  the  floor,  moaning  piti 
fully. 

"Quick,"  said  Dan,  "light  a  match.  Morris's 
posse  is  at  my  heels.  No  time.  If  Silent 
escaped — 

A  match  flared  in  the  hands  of  Buck. 

"Who's  that?     Haines!" 


35°  The  Untamed 

"Let  him  alone,  Dan!  I'll  tell  you  why  later. 
There's  Jordan  and  Kilduff.  That  one  by  the 
door  is  Rhinehart." 

They  ran  from  one  to  the  other,  greeted  by 
groans  and  deep  curses. 

"Who's  that  beneath  the  window?" 

"Too  small  for  Silent.  It's  Purvis,  and  he's  dead !" 

"Bart  got  him!" 

"No!  It  was  fear  that  killed  him.  Look  at 
his  face ! ' ' 

"Bart,  go  out  to  Satan!" 

The  wolf  trotted  from  the  room. 

"My  God,  Buck,  I've  done  all  this  for  nothin'! 
It  was  Silent  that  got  away!" 

"What's  that?" 

Over  the  groans  of  the  wounded  came  the  sound 
of  running  horses,  not  one,  but  many,  then  a  call : 
"Close  in!  Close  in!" 

"The  posse!"  said  Dan. 

As  he  jerked  open  the  door  a  bullet  smashed 
the  wood  above  his  head.  Three  horsemen  were 
closing  around  Satan  and  Black  Bart.  He  leaped 
back  into  the  room. 

"They've  got  Satan,  Buck.  We've  got  to  try  it 
on  foot.  Go  through  the  window." 

"They've  got  nothing  on  me.  I'll  stick  with 
Haines." 


Close  In !  351 

Dan  jumped  through  the  window,  and  raced  to 
the  shelter  of  a  big  rock.  He  had  hardly  dropped 
behind  it  when  four  horsemen  galloped  around  the 
corner  of  the  house. 

"Johnson  and  Sullivan,"  ordered  the  voice  of 
Monte  sharply,  "watch  the  window.  They're 
lying  low  inside,  but  we've  got  Barry's  horse  and 
wolf.  Now  we'll  get  him." 

"Come  out  or  we'll  burn  the  house  down!" 
thundered  a  voice  from  the  other  side. 

"We  surrender!"  called  Buck  within. 

A  cheer  came  from  the  posse.  Sullivan  and 
Johnson  ran  for  the  window  they  had  been  told 
to  guard.  The  door  on  the  other  side  of  the  house 
slammed  open. 

"It's  a  slaughter  house!"  cried  one  of  the  posse. 

Dan  left  the  sheltering  rock  and  raced  around 
the  house,  keeping  a  safe  distance,  and  dodging  from 
rock  to  rock.  He  saw  Satan  and  Black  Bart 
guarded  by  two  men  with  revolvers  in  their  hands. 
He  might  have  shot  them  down,  but  the  distance 
was  too  great  for  accurate  gun-play.  He  whistled 
shrilly.  The  two  guards  wheeled  towards  him, 
and  as  they  did  so,  Black  Bart,  leaping,  caught 
one  by  the  shoulder,  whirling  him  around  and 
around  with  the  force  of  the  spring.  The  other 
fired  at  Satan,  who  raced  off  towards  the  sound  of 


352  The  Untamed 

the  whistle.  It  was  an  easy  shot,  but  in  the  utter 
surprise  of  the  instant  the  bullet  went  wide.  Be 
fore  he  could  fire  again  Satan  was  coming  to  a  halt 
beside  Dan. 

"Help!"  yelled  the  cattleman.  "Whistling 
Dan!" 

The  other  guard  opened  fire  wildly.  Three 
men  ran  from  the  house.  All  they  saw  was  a  black 
shadow  which  melted  instantly  into  the  night. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

FEAR 

INTO  the  dark  he  rode.  Somewhere  in  the 
mountains  was  Silent,  and  now  alone.  In  Dan's 
mouth  the  old  salt  taste  of  his  own  blood  was  un- 
forgotten. 

It  was  a  wild  chase.  He  had  only  the  faintest 
clues  to  guide  him,  yet  he  managed  to  keep  close 
on  the  trail  of  the  great  outlaw.  After  several 
days  he  rode  across  a  tall  red-roan  stallion,  a  mere 
wreck  of  a  horse  with  lean  sides  and  pendant  head 
and  glazed  eye.  It  was  a  long  moment  before  Dan 
recognized  Silent's  peerless  mount,  Red  Pete. 
The  outlaw  had  changed  his  exhausted  horse  for 
a  common  pony.  The  end  of  the  long  trail  must 
be  near. 

The  whole  range  followed  that  chase  with 
breathless  interest.  It  was  like  the  race  of  Hector 
and  Achilles  around  the  walls  of  Troy.  And  when 
they  met  there  would  be  a  duel  of  giants.  Twice 
Whistling  Dan  was  sighted.  Once  Jim  Silent 
23  353 


354  The  Untamed 

fought  a  running  duel  with  a  posse  fresh  from  Elk- 
head.  The  man  hunters  were  alert,  but  it  was 
their  secret  hope  that  the  two  famous  outlaws 
would  destroy  each  other,  but  how  the  wild  chase 
would  end  no  one  could  know.  At  last  Buck 
Daniels  rode  to  tell  Kate  Cumberland  strange 
news. 

When  he  stumbled  into  the  ranch  house,  Kate 
and  her  father  rose,  white-faced.  There  was  an 
expression  of  waiting  terror  in  their  eyes. 

"Buck!"  cried  Joe. 

"Hush!  Dad,"  said  Kate.  "It  hasn't  come 
yet !  Buck,  what  has  happened  ? ' ' 

"The  end  of  the  world  has  come  for  Dan,"  he 
said.  "That  devil  Silent " 

"Dan,"  cried  old  Joe,  and  rushed  around  the 
table  to  Buck. 

"Silent  has  dared  Dan  to  meet  him  at  three 
o'clock  tomorrow  afternoon  in  Tully's  saloon  in 
Elkhead!  He's  held  up  four  men  in  the  last 
twenty-four  hours  and  told  them  that  he'll  be  at 
Tully's  tomorrow  and  will  expect  Dan  there!" 

"It  isn't  possible!"  cried  Kate.  "That  means 
that  Silent  is  giving  himself  up  to  the  law!" 

Buck  laughed  bitterly. 

"The  law  will  not  put  a  hand  on  them  if  it 
thinks  that  they'll  fight  it  out  together,"  he  said. 


Fear  355 

"There'll  be  a  crowd  in  the  saloon,  but  not  a 
hand  will  stir  to  arrest  Silent  till  after  the 
fight." 

"But  Dan  won't  go  to  Tully's,"  broke  in  old 
Joe.  ' '  If  Silent  is  crazy  enough  to  do  such  a  thing, 
Dan  won't  be." 

' '  He  will, ' '  said  Kate.     ' '  I  know ! ' ' 

"You've  got  to  stop  him,"  urged  Buck. 
"You've  got  to  get  to  Elkhead  and  turn  Dan 
back." 

"Ay,"  said  Joe,  "for  even  if  he  kills  Silent,  the 
crowd  will  tackle  him  after  the  fight — a  hundred 
against  one." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"You  won't  go?" 

"Not  a  step." 

"But  Kate,  don't  you  understand ?" 

' '  I  couldn't  turn  Dan  back.  There  is  his  chance 
to  meet  Silent.  Do  you  dream  any  one  could  turn 
him  back  ? ' ' 

The  two  men  were  mute. 

' '  You're  right, ' '  said  Buck  at  last.  ' '  I  hoped  for 
a  minute  that  you  could  do  it,  but  now  I  remember 
the  way  he  was  in  that  dark  shanty  up  the  Bald- 
eagle  Creek.  You  can't  turn  a  wolf  from  a  trail, 
and  Whistling  Dan  has  never  forgotten  the  taste 
of  his  own  blood." 


356  The  Untamed 

"Kate!"  called  her  father  suddenly.  "What's 
the  matter,  honey?" 

With  bowed  head  and  a  faltering  step  she  was 
leaving  the  room.  Buck  caught  old  Joe  by  the 
arm  and  held  him  back  as  he  would  have 
followed. 

"Let  her  be!"  said  Buck  sharply.  "Maybe 
she'll  want  to  see  you  at  three  o'clock  tomorrow 
afternoon,  but  until  then  she'll  want  to  be  alone. 
There'll  be  ghosts  enough  with  her  all  the  time. 
You  c'n  lay  to  that." 

Joe  Cumberland  wiped  his  glistening  forehead. 

"There  ain't  nothin'  we  c'n  do,  Buck,  but  sit  an* 
wait." 

Buck  drew  a  long  breath. 

"What  devil  gave  Silent  that  idea?" 

"Fear!" 

"Jim  Silent  don't  know  what  fear  is!" 

"Any  one  who's  seen  the  yaller  burn  in  Dan's 
eyes  knows  what  fear  is." 

Buck  winced. 

Cumberland  went  on:  "Every  night  Silent  has 
been  seein'  them  eyes  that  glow  yaller  in  the  dark. 
They  lie  in  wait  for  him  in  every  shadow.  Be 
tween  dark  and  dawn  he  dies  a  hundred  deaths. 
He  can't  stand  it  no  more.  He's  goin'  to  die. 
Somethin'  tells  him  that.  But  he  wants  to  die 


Fear  357 

where  they's  humans  around  him,  and  when  he 
dies  he  wants  to  pull  Dan  down  with  him." 

They  sat  staring  at  each  other  for  a  time. 

"If  he  lives  through  that  fight  with  Silent,"  said 
Buck  sadly,  "the  crowd  will  jump  in  on  him. 
Their  numbers'll  make  'em  brave." 

"An'  then?" 

"Then  maybe  he'd  like  a  friend  to  fight  by  his 
side,"  said  Buck  simply.  "So  long,  Joe!" 

The  old  man  wrung  his  hand  and  then  followed 
him  out  to  the  hitching-rack  where  Buck's  horse 
stood. 

"Ain't  Dan  got  no  friends  among  the  crowd?" 
asked  Cumberland.  "Don't  they  give  him  no 
thanks  for  catching  the  rest  of  Silent's  gang?" 

"They  give  him  lots  of  credit,"  said  Buck. 
"An'  Haines  has  said  a  lot  in  favour  of  Dan,  ex- 
plainin'  how  the  jail  bustin'  took  place.  Lee  is 
sure  provin'  himself  a  white  man.  He's  gettin' 
well  of  his  wounds  and  it's  said  the  Governor  will 
pardon  him.  You  see,  Haines  went  bad  because 
the  law  done  him  dirt  a  long  time  ago,  and  the 
Governor  is  takin'  that  into  account." 

' '  But  they'd  still  want  to  kill  Dan  ? ' ' 

"Half  of  the  boys  wouldn't,"  said  Buck.  "The 
other  half  is  all  wrought  up  over  the  killings  that's 
been  happenin'  on  the  range  in  the  last  month. 


358  The  Untamed 

Dan  is  accused  of  about  an  even  half  of  'em,  an* 
the  friends  of  dead  men  don't  waste  no  time  listenin' 
to  arguments.  They  say  Dan's  an  outlawed  man 
an'  that  they're  goin'  to  treat  him  like  one." 

"Damn  them!"  groaned  Cumberland.  "Don't 
Morris's  confession  make  no  difference?" 

' '  Morris  was  lynched  before  he  had  a  chance  to 
swear  to  what  he  said  in  Dan's  favour.  Kilduff  an' 
Jordan  an'  Rhinehart  might  testify  that  Dan 
wasn't  never  bought  over  by  Silent,  but  they  know 
they're  done  for  themselves,  an'  they  won't  try 
to  help  anybody  else,  particular  the  man  that  put 
'em  in  the  hands  of  the  law.  Kilduff  has  swore 
that  Dan  was  bribed  by  Silent,  that  he  went  after 
Silent  not  for  revenge,  but  to  get  some  more  money 
out  of  him,  an'  that  the  fight  in  the  shanty  up  at 
Bald-eagle  Creek  was  because  Silent  refused  to 
give  Dan  any  more  money." 

"Then  there  ain't  no  hope,"  muttered  Cumber 
land.  "But  oh,  lad,  it  breaks  my  heart  to  think 
of  Kate!  Dan  c'n  only  die  once,  but  every  minute 
is  a  death  to  her!" 


CHAPTER   XXXVII 

DEATH 

BEFORE  noon  of  the  next  day  Buck  joined  the 
crowd  which  had  been  growing  for  hours  around 
Tully's  saloon.  Men  gave  way  before  him,  whis 
pering.  He  was  a  marked  man — the  friend  of 
Whistling  Dan  Barry.  Cowpunchers  who  had 
known  him  all  his  life  now  avoided  his  eyes,  but 
caught  him  with  side  glances.  He  smiled  grimly 
to  himself,  reading  their  minds.  He  was  more  de 
termined  than  ever  to  stand  or  fall  with  Whistling 
Dan  that  day. 

There  was  not  an  officer  of  the  law  in  sight.  If 
one  were  present  it  would  be  his  manifest  duty  to 
apprehend  the  outlaws  as  soon  as  they  appeared, 
and  the  plan  was  to  allow  them  to  fight  out  their 
quarrel  and  perhaps  kill  each  other. 

Arguments  began  to  rise  among  separate  groups, 
where  the  crimes  attributed  to  Whistling  Dan 
Barry  were  numbered  and  talked  over.  It  sur 
prised  Buck  to  discover  the  number  who  believed 

359 


360  The  Untamed 

the  stories  which  he  and  Haines  had  told.  They 
made  a  strong  faction,  though  manifestly  in  the 
minority. 

Hardly  a  man  who  did  not,  from  time  to  time, 
nervously  fumble  the  butt  of  his  six-gun.  As 
three  o'clock  drew  on  the  talk  grew  less  and  less. 
It  broke  out  now  and  again  in  little  uneasy  bursts. 
Someone  would  tell  a  joke.  Half  hysterical  laugh 
ter  would  greet  it,  and  die  suddenly,  as  it  began. 
These  were  all  hard-faced  men  of  the  mountain- 
desert,  warriors  of  the  frontier.  What  unnerved 
them  was  the  strangeness  of  the  thing  which  was 
about  to  happen.  The  big  wooden  clock  on  the 
side  of  the  long  barroom  struck  once  for  half -past 
two.  All  talk  ceased. 

Men  seemed  unwilling  to  meet  each  other's 
eyes.  Some  of  them  drummed  lightly  on  the  top 
of  the  bar  and  strove  to  whistle,  but  the  only 
sound  that  came  through  their  dried  lips  was  a 
whispering  rush  of  breath.  A  grey-h-.ired  cattle 
ranger  commenced  to  hum  a  tune,  very  low,  but 
distinct.  Finally  a  man  rose,  strode  across  the 
room,  shook  the  old  fellow  by  the  shoulder  with 
brutal  violence,  and  with  a  curse  ordered  him  to 
stop  his  "damned  death  song!" 

Everyone  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief.  The 
minute  hand  crept  on  towards  three  o'clock.  Now 


Death  361 

it  was  twenty  minutes,  now  fifteen,  now  ten,  now 
five;  then  a  clatter  of  hoofs,  a  heavy  step  on  the 
porch,  and  the  giant  form  of  Jim  Silent  blocked 
the  door.  His  hands  rested  on  the  butts  of  his 
two  guns.  Buck  guessed  at  the  tremendous 
strength  of  that  grip.  The  eyes  of  the  outlaw 
darted  about  the  room,  and  every  glance  dropped 
before  his,  with  the  exception  of  Buck's  fascinated 
stare. 

For  he  saw  a  brand  on  the  face  of  the  great 
long  rider.  It  lay  in  no  one  thing.  It  was  not 
the  unusual  hollowness  of  eyes  and  cheeks.  It 
was  not  the  feverish  brightness  of  his  glance.  It 
was  something  which  included  all  of  these.  It  was 
the  fear  of  death  by  night!  His  hands  fell  away 
from  the  guns.  He  crossed  the  room  to  the  bar 
and  nodded  his  head  at  the  bartender. 

"Drink!"  he  said,  and  his  voice  was  only  a 
whisper  without  body  of  sound. 

The  bartender,  with  pasty  face,  round  and 
blank,  did  not  move  either  his  hand  or  his  fasci 
nated  eyes.  There  was  a  twitch  of  the  outlaw's 
hand  and  naked  steel  gleamed.  Instantly  re 
volvers  showed  in  every  hand.  A  youngster 
moaned.  The  sound  seemed  to  break  the 
charm. 

Silent  put  back  his  great  head  and  burst  into  a 


362  The  Untamed 

deep-throated  laughter.  The  gun  whirled  in  his 
hand  and  the  butt  crashed  heavily  on  the  bar. 

"Drink,  damn  you!"  he  thundered.  "Step  up 
an'  drink  to  the  health  of  Jim  Silent!" 

The  wavering  line  slowly  approached  the  bar. 
Silent  pulled  out  his  other  gun  and  shoved  them 
both  across  the  bar. 

"Take  'em,"  he  said.  "I  don't  want  'em  to 
get  restless  an'  muss  up  this  joint." 

The  bartender  took  them  as  if  they  were  covered 
with  some  deadly  poison,  and  the  outlaw  stood 
unarmed!  It  came  suddenly  to  Buck  what  the 
whole  manoeuvre  meant.  He  gave  away  his  guns 
in  order  to  tempt  someone  to  arrest  him.  Better 
the  hand  of  the  law  than  the  yellow  glare  of  those 
following  eyes.  Yet  not  a  man  moved  to  appre 
hend  him.  Unarmed  he  still  seemed  more  danger 
ous  than  six  common  men. 

The  long  rider  jerked  a  whisky  bottle  upside 
down  over  a  glass.  Half  the  contents  splashed 
across  the  bar.  He  turned  and  faced  the  crowd, 
his  hand  dripping  with  the  spilled  liquor. 

"Whose  liquorin'?"  he  bellowed. 

Not  a  sound  answered  him. 

"Damn  your  yaller  souls!  Then  all  by  myself 
I'll  drink  to " 

He  stopped  short,  his  eyes  wild,  his  head  tilted 


Death  363 

back.  One  by  one  the  cowpunchers  gave  back, 
foot  by  foot,  softly,  until  they  stood  close  to  the 
opposite  wall  of  the  saloon.  All  the  bar  was  left 
to  Silent.  The  whisky  glass  slipped  from  his 
hand  and  crashed  on  the  floor.  In  his  face  was  the 
meaning  of  the  sound  he  heard,  and  now  it  came 
to  their  own  ears — a  whistle  thin  with  distance,  but 
clear. 

Only  phrases  at  first,  but  now  it  rose  more  dis 
tinct,  the  song  of  the  untamed;  the  terror  and 
beauty  of  the  mountain-desert ;  a  plea  and  a  threat. 

The  clock  struck,  sharp,  hurried,  brazen — one, 
two,  three!  Before  the  last  quick,  unmusical 
chime  died  out  Black  Bart  stood  in  the  entrance 
to  the  saloon.  His  eyes  were  upon  Jim  Silent, 
who  stretched  out  his  arms  on  either  side  and 
gripped  the  edge  of  the  bar.  Yet  even  when  the 
wolf  glided  silently  across  the  room  and  crouched 
before  the  bandit,  at  watch,  his  lips  grinned  back 
from  the  white  teeth,  the  man  had  no  eyes  for  him. 
Instead,  his  stare  held  steadily  upon  that  open 
door  and  on  his  raised  face  there  was  still  the 
terror  of  that  whistling  which  swept  closer  and 
closer. 

It  ceased.  A  footfall  crossed  the  porch.  How 
different  from  the  ponderous  stride  of  Jim  Silent! 
This  was  like  the  padding  step  of  the  panther. 


364  The  Untamed 

And  Whistling  Dan  stood  in  the  door.  He  did  not 
fill  it  as  the  burly  shoulders  of  Silent  had  done. 
He  seemed  almost  as  slender  as  a  girl,  and  infinitely 
boyish  in  his  grace — a  strange  figure,  surely,  to  make 
all  these  hardened  fighters  of  the  mountain-desert 
crouch,  and  stiffen  their  fingers  around  the  butts 
of  their  revolvers!  His  eyes  were  upon  Silent, 
and  how  they  lighted!  His  face  changed  as  the 
face  of  the  great  god  Pan  must  have  altered  when  he 
blew  into  the  instrument  of  reeds  and  made  per 
fect  music,  the  first  in  the  world. 

"Bart,"  said  the  gentle  voice,  "go  out  to 
Satan." 

The  wolf  turned  and  slipped  from  the  room.  It 
was  a  little  thing,  but,  to  the  men  who  saw  it,  it 
was  terrible  to  watch  an  untamed  beast  obey  the 
voice  of  a  man. 

Still  with  that  light,  panther-step  he  crossed  the 
barroom,  and  now  he  was  looking  up  into  the  face 
of  the  giant.  The  huge  long  rider  loomed  above 
Dan.  That  was  not  terror  which  set  his  face  in 
written  lines— it  was  horror,  such  as  a  man  feels 
when  he  stands  face  to  face  with  the  unearthly  in 
the  middle  of  night.  This  was  open  daylight  in  a 
room  thronged  with  men,  yet  in  it  nothing  seemed 
to  live  save  the  smile  of  Whistling  Dan.  He  drew 
out  the  two  revolvers  and  slipped  them  onto  the 


Death  365 

bar.  They  stood  unarmed,  yet  they  seemed  no 
less  dangerous. 

Silent's  arms  crept  closer  to  his  sides.  He  seemed 
gathering  himself  by  degrees.  The  confidence  in 
his  own  great  size  showed  in  his  face,  and  the 
blood-lust  of  battle  in  his  eyes  answered  the  yellow 
light  in  Dan's. 

Dan  spoke. 

"Silent,  once  you  put  a  stain  of  blood  on  me. 
I've  never  forgot  the  taste.  It's  goin'  to  be  washed 
out  today  or  else  made  redder.  It  was  here  that 
you  put  the  stain." 

He  struck  the  long  rider  lightly  across  the  mouth 
with  the  back  of  his  hand,  and  Silent  lunged  with 
the  snarl  of  a  beast.  His  blow  spent  itself  on  thin 
air.  He  whirled  and  struck  again.  Only  a  low 
laughter  answered  him.  He  might  as  well  have 
battered  away  at  a  shadow. 

"Damnation!"  he  yelled,  and  leaped  in  with 
both  arms  outspread. 

The  impetus  of  his  rush  drove  them  both  to  the 
floor,  where  they  rolled  over  and  over,  and  before 
they  stopped  thin  fingers  were  locked  about  the 
bull  neck  of  the  bandit,  and  two  thumbs  driven 
into  the  hollow  of  his  throat.  With  a  tremendous 
effort  he  heaved  himself  from  the  floor,  his  face 
convulsed. 


366  The  Untamed 

He  beat  with  both  fists  against  the  lowered  head 
of  Dan.  He  tore  at  those  hands.  They  were 
locked  as  if  with  iron.  Only  the  laughter,  the  low, 
continual  laughter  rewarded  him. 

He  screamed,  a  thick,  horrible  sound.  He 
flung  himself  to  the  floor  again  and  rolled  over  and 
over,  striving  to  crush  the  slender,  remorseless 
body.  Once  more  he  was  on  his  feet,  running 
hither  and  thither,  dragging  Dan  with  him.  His 
eyes  swelled  out;  his  face  blackened.  He  beat 
against  the  walls.  He  snapped  at  the  wrists  of 
Dan  like  a  beast,  his  lips  flecked  with  a  bloody 
froth. 

That  bull-dog  grip  would  not  unlock.  That 
animal,  exultant  laughter  ran  on  in  demoniac 
music.  In  his  great  agony  the  outlaw  rolled  his 
eyes  in  appeal  to  the  crowd  which  surrounded  the 
struggling  two.  Every  man  seemed  about  to 
spring  forward,  yet  they  could  not  move.  Some 
had  their  fingers  stiffly  extended,  as  if  in  the  act  of 
gripping  with  hands  too  stiff  to  close. 

Silent  slipped  to  his  knees.  His  head  fell  back, 
his  discoloured  tongue  protruding.  Dan  wrenched 
him  back  to  his  feet.  One  more  convulsive  effort 
from  the  giant,  and  then  his  eyes  glazed,  his  body 
went  limp.  The  remorseless  hands  unlocked. 
Silent  fell  in  a  shapeless  heap  to  the  floor. 


Death  367 

Still  no  one  moved.  There  was  no  sound  except 
the  deadly  ticking  of  the  clock.  The  men  stared 
fascinated  at  that  massive,  lifeless  figure  on  the 
floor.  Even  in  death  he  was  terrible.  Then 
Dan's  hand  slid  inside  his  shirt,  fumbled  a  moment, 
and  came  forth  again  bearing  a  little  gleaming 
circle  of  metal.  He  dropped  it  upon  the  body  of 
Jim  Silent,  and  turning,  walked  slowly  from  the 
room.  Still  no  one  moved  to  intercept  him. 
Passing  through  the  door  he  pushed  within  a  few 
inches  of  two  men.  They  made  no  effort  to  seize 
him,  for  their  eyes  were  upon  the  body  of  the  great 
lone  rider. 

The  moment  Dan  was  gone  the  hypnotic  silence 
which  held  the  crowd,  broke  suddenly.  Some 
one  stirred.  Another  cursed  beneath  his  breath. 
Instantly  all  was  clamour  and  a  running  hither  and 
thither.  Buck  Daniels  caught  from  the  body  of 
Jim  Silent  the  small  metal  circle  which  Dan  had 
dropped.  He  stood  dumbfounded  at  the  sight  of 
it,  and  then  raised  his  hand,  and  shouted  in  a  voice 
which  gathered  the  others  swiftly  around  him. 
They  cursed  deeply  with  astonishment,  for  what 
they  saw  was  the  marshal's  badge  of  Tex  Calder. 
The  number  on  it  was  known  throughout  the 
mountain-desert,  and  seeing  it,  the  worst  of  Dan's 
enemies  stammered,  gaped,  and  could  not  speak. 


368  The  Untamed 

There  were  more  impartial  men  who  could.  In 
five  minutes  the  trial  of  Whistling  Dan  was  under 
way.  The  jury  was  every  cowpuncher  present. 
The  judge  was  public  opinion.  It  was  a  grey- 
haired  man  who  finally  leaped  upon  the  bar  and 
summed  up  all  opinion  in  a  brief  statement. 

"Whatever  Whistlin'  Dan  has  done  before,"  he 
said,  "this  day  he's  done  a  man-sized  job  in  a 
man's  way.  Morris,  before  he  died,  said  enough 
to  clear  up  most  of  this  lad's  past,  particular  about 
the  letter  from  Jim  Silent  that  talked  of  a  money 
bribe.  Morris  didn't  have  a  chance  to  swear  to 
what  he  said,  but  a  dying  man  speaks  truth.  Lee 
Haines  had  cleared  up  most  of  the  rest.  We 
can't  hold  agin  Dan  what  he  done  in  breakin'  jail 
with  Haines.  Dan  Barry  was  a  marshal.  He 
captured  Haines  and  then  let  the  outlaw  go.  He 
had  a  right  to  do  what  he  wanted  as  long  as  he 
finally  got  Haines  back.  And  Haines  has  told  us 
that  when  he  was  set  free  Barry  said  he  would  get 
him  again.  And  Barry  did  get  him  again.  Re 
member  that,  and  he  got  all  the  rest  of  Silent's 
gang,  and  now  there  lies  Jim  Silent  dead.  They's 
two  things  to  remember.  The  first  is  that  Whis 
tlin'  Dan  has  rid  away  without  any  shootin'  irons 
on  his  hip.  That  looks  as  if  he's  come  to  the  end 
of  his  long  trail.  The  second  is  that  he  was  a 


Death  369 

bunkie  of  Tex  Calder,  an'  a  man  Tex  could  trust 
for  the  avengin'  of  his  death  is  good  enough  for 
me." 

There  was  a  pause  after  this  speech,  and  during 
the  quiet  the  cowpunchers  were  passing  from  hand 
to  hand  the  marshal's  badge  which  Calder,  as  he 
died,  had  given  to  Dan.  The  bright  small  shield 
was  a  more  convincing  proof  than  a  hundred  argu 
ments.  The  bitterest  of  Dan's  enemies  realized 
that  the  crimes  of  which  he  was  accused  were  sup 
ported  by  nothing  stronger  than  blind  rumour. 
The  marshal's  badge  and  the  dead  body  of  Jim 
Silent  kept  them  mute.  So  an  illegal  judge  and 
one  hundred  illegal  jurymen  found  Whistling  Dan 
"not  guilty." 

Buck  Daniels  took  horse  and  galloped  for  the 
Cumberland  house  with  the  news  of  the  verdict. 
He  knew  that  Whistling  Dan  was  there. 

34 


CHAPTER   XXXVIII 

THE  WILD   GEESE 

So  when  the  first  chill  days  of  the  late  autumn 
came  the  four  were  once  more  together,  Dan,  Kate, 
Black  Bart,  and  Satan.  Buck  and  old  Joe  Cum 
berland  made  the  background  of  their  happiness. 
It  was  the  latter's  request  which  kept  the  wedding 
a  matter  of  the  indefinite  future.  He  would  assign 
no  reason  for  his  wish,  but  Kate  guessed  it. 

All  was  not  well,  she  knew.  Day  after  day,  as 
the  autumn  advanced,  Dan  went  out  with  the  wolf 
and  the  wild  black  stallion  and  ranged  the  hills 
alone.  She  did  not  ask  him  where  or  why,  for  she 
understood  that  to  be  alone  was  as  necessary 
to  him  as  sleep  is  to  others.  Yet  she  could  not 
explain  it  all  and  the  cold  fear  grew  in  her.  Some 
times  she  surprised  a  look  of  infinite  pity  in  the 
eyes  of  Buck  or  her  father.  Sometimes  she  found 
them  whispering  and  nodding  together.  At  last 
on  an  evening  when  the  three  sat  before  the  fire  in 
solemn  silence  and  Dan  was  away,  they  knew  not 

370 


The  Wild  Geese  371 

where,  among  the  hills,  she  could  bear  it  no 
longer. 

"Do  you  really  think,"  she  burst  out,  "that 
the  old  wildness  is  still  in  Dan  ? ' ' 

"Wild?"  said  her  father  gently.  "Wild?  I 
don't  say  he's  still  wild — but  why  is  he  so  late 
tonight,  Kate?  The  ground's  all  covered  with 
snow.  The  wind's  growin'  sharper  an'  sharper. 
This  is  a  time  for  all  reasonable  folk  to  stay  home 
an'  git  comfortable  beside  the  fire.  But  Dan  ain't 
here.  Where  is  he?" 

"Hush!"  said  Buck,  and  raised  a  hand  for 
silence. 

Far  away  they  heard  the  wail  of  a  wolf  crying 
to  the  moon.  She  rose  and  went  out  on  the  porch 
of  the  house.  The  others  followed  her.  Outside 
they  found  nothing  but  the  low  moaning  of  the 
wind,  and  the  snow,  silver  glimmering  where 
the  moonlight  fell  upon  it.  Then  they  heard  the 
weird,  inhuman  whistling,  and  at  last  they  saw 
Dan  riding  towards  the  house.  A  short  distance 
away  he  stopped  Satan.  Black  Bart  dropped  to 
his  haunches  and  wailed  again.  Dan  was  staring 
upwards. 

"Look!"  said  Kate,  and  pointed. 

Across  the  white  circle  of  the  moon  drove  a 
flying  wedge  of  wild  geese.  The  wail  of  the  wolf 


372  The  Untamed 

died  out.  A  faint  honking  was  blown  to  them  by 
the  wind,  now  a  distant,  jangling  chorus,  now  a 
solitary  sound  repeated  like  a  call. 

Without  a  word  the  three  returned  to  their  seats 
close  by  the  fire,  and  sat  silent,  staring.  Presently 
the  rattle  of  the  wolf's  claws  came  on  the  floor; 
then  Dan  entered  with  his  soft  step  and  stood  be 
hind  Kate's  chair.  They  were  used  to  his  silent 
comings  and  goings.  Black  Bart  was  slinking  up 
and  down  the  room  with  a  restless  step.  His  eyes 
glowed  from  the  shadow,  and  as  Joe  looked  up  to 
the  face  of  Dan  he  saw  the  same  light  repeated 
there,  yellow  and  strange.  Then,  like  the  wolf, 
Dan  turned  and  commenced  that  restless  pacing 
up  and  down,  up  and  down,  a  padding  step  like 
the  fall  of  a  panther's  paw. 

"The  wild  geese — "  he  said  suddenly,  and  then 
stopped. 

"They  are  flying  south?"  said  Kate. 

"South!"  he  repeated. 

His  eyes  looked  far  away.  The  wolf  slipped  to 
his  side  and  licked  his  hand. 

"Kate,  I'd  like  to  follow  the  wild  geese." 

Old  Joe  shaded  his  eyes  and  the  big  hands  of 
Buck  were  locked  together. 

"Are  you  unhappy,  Dan?"  she  said. 

"The  snow  is  come,"  he  muttered  uneasily. 


The  Wild  Geese  373 

He  began  pacing  again  with  that  singular  step. 

"When  I  went  out  to  Satan  in  the  corral  this 
evenin',  I  found  him  standin'  lookin'  south." 

She  rose  and  faced  him  with  a  little  gesture  of 
surrender. 

"Then  you  must  follow  the  wild  geese,  Dan!" 

"You  don't  mind  me  goin',  Kate?" 

"No." 

"But  your  eyes  are  shinin'!" 

"It's  only  the  reflection  of  the  firelight." 

Black  Bart  whined  softly.  Suddenly  Dan 
straightened  and  threw  up  his  arms,  laughing  low 
with  exultation.  Buck  Daniels  shuddered  and 
dropped  his  head. 

"I  am  far  behind,"  said  Dan,  "but  I'll  go 
fast." 

He  caught  her  in  his  arms,  kissed  her  eyes  and 
lips,  and  then  whirled  and  ran  from  the  room  with 
that  noiseless,  padding  step. 

"Kate!"  groaned  Buck  Daniels,  "you've  let 
him  go!  We've  all  lost  him  for  ever!" 

A  sob  answered  him. 

"Go  call  him  back,"  pleaded  Joe.  "He  will 
stay  for  your  sake." 

She  whispered:  "I  would  rather  call  back  the 
wild  geese  who  flew  across  the  moon.  And  they 
are  only  beautiful  when  they  are  wild!" 


374  The  Untamed 

"But  you've  lost  him,  Kate,  don't  you  under 
stand?" 

"The  wild  geese  fly  north  again  in  spring,"  said 
Buck,  "and  he'll " 

"Hush!  "she  said.     "Listen!" 

Far  off,  above  the  rushing  of  the  wind,  they 
heard  the  weird  whistling,  a  thrilling  and  unearthly 
music.  It  was  sad  with  the  beauty  of  the  night 
It  was  joyous  with  the  exultation  of  the  wind. 
It  might  have  been  the  voice  of  some  god  who  rode 
the  northern  storm  south,  south  after  the  wild 
geese,  south  with  the  untamed. 

THE   END 


THE   BEST   OF  RECENT   FICTION 


Adventures  of  Jimmie  Dale.     Frank  L.  Packard. 

Adventures  of  Sherlock  Holmes.     A.  Conan  Doyle. 

Adventures  of  the  D.  C.  I.    Major  C.  E.  Russell. 

Affair  in  Duplex  9B,  The.    William  Johnston. 

Affair  at  the  Chateau,  The.    Mrs.  Baillie  Reynolds. 

Affinities  and  Other  Stories.     Mary  Roberts  Rinehart. 

After  House,  The.     Mary  Roberts  Rinehart. 

After  Noon.    Susan  Ertz. 

Ah,  the  Delicate  Passion.     Elizabeth  Hall  Yates. 

Ailsa  Page.     Robert  W.  Chambers. 

Alcatraz.     Max  Brand. 

All  at  Sea.    Carolyn  Wells. 

All  the  Way  by  Water.    Elizabeth  Stancy  Payne. 

Altar  of  Friendship,  The.    Blanche  Upright. 

Amateur  Gentleman.    Jeffery  Farnol. 

Amateur  Inn,  The.     Albert  Payson  Terhune. 

Anabel  at  Sea.     Samuel  Merwin. 

An  Accidental  Accomplice.    William  Johnston. 

Ancestor  Jorico.     William  J.  Locke. 

And  They  Lived  Happily  Ever  After.    Meredith  Nicholson. 

Angel  Esquire.    Edgar  Wallace. 

Angel  of  Terror.     Edgar  Wallace. 

Anne  of  the  Island.    L.  M.  Montgomery. 

Anne's  House  of  Dreams.   L.  M.  Montgomery. 

Annihilation.    Isabel  Ostrander. 

Ann's  Crime.     R.  T.  M.  Scott. 

An  Ordeal  of  Honor.    Anthony  Pryde. 

Anything  But  the  Truth.    Carolyn  Wells. 

April  and  Sally  June.     Margaret  Piper  Chalmers. 

Are  All  Men  Alike,  and  The  Lost  Titan.    Arthur  Stringer. 

Aristocratic  Miss  Brewster,  The.     Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Around  Old  Chester.    Margaret  Deland. 

Arrant  Rover,  The.   Berta  Ruck. 

As  a  Thief  in  the  Night.     R.  Austin  Freeman. 

A  Self-Made  Thief.     Hulbert  Footner. 

Astounding  Crime  on  Torrington  Road,  The.    William  Gillette. 

At  Sight  of  Gold.     Cynthia  Lombardi. 

At  the  Foot  of  the  Rainbow.    James  B.  Hendryx. 

At  the  Mercy  of  Tiberius.     Augusta  Evans  Wilson. 

At  the  South  Gate.     Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Auction  Block,  The.    Rex  Beach. 

Aunt  Jane  of  Kentucky.    Eliza  C.  Hall. 

Aurelius  Smith — Detective.     R.  T.  M.  Scott. 

Autocrat,  The.    Pearl  Doles  Bell. 

Aw  Hell!     Clarke  Venable. 


THE   BEST   OF  RECENT  FICTION 


Bab:  a  Sub-Deb.    Mary  Roberts  Rinehart. 

Babe  Ruth's  Own  Book  of  Baseball.    George  Herman  Ruth. 

Backwoods  Princess,  A.     Hulbert  Footner. 

Bad  One,  The.     John  Farrow. 

"Barabbas."     Marie  Corelli. 

Barberry  Bush.    Kathleen  Norris. 

Barrier,  The.     Rex  Beach. 

Bars  of  Iron,  The.    Ethel  M.  Dell. 

Bartenstein  Mystery,  The.    J.  S.  Fletcher. 

Bar-20.     Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Bar-20  Days.     Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Bar  20  Rides  Again,  The.    Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Bar-20  Three.      Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Bat  Wing.     Sax  Rohmer. 

Beauty  and  the  Beast.    Kathleen  Norris. 

Beauty  Mask,  The.    H.  M.  Clamp. 

Beginners,  The.     Henry  Kitchell  Webster. 

Beg  Pardon  Sir!     Reginald  Wright  Kauffman. 

Bella  Donna.     Robert  Hichens. 

Bellamy  Trial,  The.     Frances  Noyes  Hart. 

Belonging.     Olive  Wadsley. 

Beloved  Pawn,  The.     Harold  Titus. 

Beloved  Rajah,  The.     A.  E.  R.  Craig. 

Beloved  Traitor,  The.      Frank  L.  Packard. 

Beloved  Vagabond,  The.     William  J.  Locke. 

Beloved  Woman,  The.    Kathleen  Norris. 

Beltane  the  Smith.     Jeffery  Farnol. 

Benson  Murder  Case,  The.     S.  S.  Van  Dine. 

Best  Ghost  Stories,  The.     Edited  by  Bohun  Lynch. 

Beyond  the  Frontier.     Randall  Parrish. 

Bigamist,  The.     John  Jay  Chichester. 

Big  Brother.    Rex  Beach. 

Big  Mogul,  The.     Joseph  C.  Lincoln. 

Big  Shot,  The.     Frank  L.  Packard. 

Big  Timber.     Bertrand  W.  Sinclair. 

Bill  the  Conqueror.    P.  Q.  Wodehouse. 

Bill— The  Sheik.     A.  M.  Williamson. 

Bird  of  Freedom.     Hugh  Pendexter. 

Black  Abbot,  The.     Edgar  Wallace. 

Black  Bartlemy's  Treasure.    Jeffery  Farnol. 

Black  Bull,  The.     H.  Bedford-Jones. 

Black  Buttes.     Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Black  Company,  The.     W.  B.  M.  Ferguson. 

Black  Flemings,  The.     Kathleen  Norris. 

Black  Butterflies.     Elizabeth  Jordan. 

Black  Glove,  The.     J.  G.  Sarasin. 


THE   BEST   OF  RECENT   FICTION 


Black  Ivory.     Polan  Banks. 

Black  Magician,  The.     R.  T.  M.  Scott. 

Black  Oxen.     Gertrude  Atherton. 

Black  Stamp,  The.     Will  Scott. 

Black  Turret,  The.      Patrick  Wynnton. 

Blades.      George  Barr  McCutcheon. 

Blair's  Attic.     Joseph  C.  Lincoln  and  Freeman  Lincoln. 

Blatchington  Tangle,  The.    G.  D.  H.  and  Margaret  Cole. 

Bleston  Mystery,  The.    Robert  Milward  Kennedy. 

Bloody  Ground.     Oscar  J.  Friend. 

Blue  Blood.      Owen  Johnson. 

Blue  Car  Mystery,  The.     Natalie  Sumner  Lincoln. 

Blue  Castle,  The.     L.  M.  Montgomery. 

Blue  Hand.      Edgar  Wallace. 

Blue  Jay,  The.     Max  Brand. 

Bob,  Son  of  Battle.     Alfred  Ollivant. 

Bondwoman,  The.     G.  U.  Ellis. 

Born  Rich.     Hughes  Cornell. 

Borrowed  Shield,  The.     Richard  E.  Enright. 

Boss  of  Eagle's  Nest,  The.     William  West  Winter. 

Boss  of  the  Diamond  A.    Robert  Ames  Bennet. 

Boss  of  the  Tumbling  H.     Frank  C.  Robertson. 

Box  With  Broken  Seals.     E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Branded.     Robert  Ames  Bennet. 

Brass.     Charles  G.  Norris. 

Brass  Bowl.     Louis  Joseph  Vance. 

Bravo  Jim.      W.  D.   Hoffman. 

Bread.     Charles  G.  Norris. 

Bread  and  Jam.     Nalbro  Bartley. 

Break-Up,  The.     Esther  Birdsall  Darling. 

Breaking  Point,  The.     Mary  Roberts  Rinehart. 

Bride's  Progress,  The.     Harold  Weston. 

Bright  Shawl,  The.    Joseph  Hergesheimer. 

Bring  Me  His  Ears.     Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Broad  Highway,  The.     Jeffery  Farnol. 

Broken  Barriers.     Meredith  Nicholson. 

Broken  Waters.     Frank  L.  Packard. 

Bronze  Hand,  The.      Carolyn  Wells. 

Brood  of  the  Witch  Queen.     Sax  Rohmer. 

Brook  Evans.     Susan  Glaspell. 

Brown  Study,  The.     Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Buck  Peters,  Ranchman.    Clarence  E.  Mulford. 

Bullet  Eater.     Oscar  J.  Friend. 

Burned  Evidence.     Mrs.  Wilson  Woodro-w. 

Bush  Rancher,  The.    Harold  Bindloss. 

Bush  That  Burned,  A.    Marjorie  Barclay  McClure. 


A     000791940 


